Kyrgyz Supreme Court Vacates Six-Year Prison Term for Investigative Journalist Makhabat Tazhibek kyzy Amid Global Pressure

The Kyrgyz Supreme Court vacates the six-year prison term for journalist Makhabat Tazhibek kyzy, ordering a new trial following U.N. pressure on press freedom.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 10, 2026, 9:38 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from OCCRP

Judicial Reversal in High Profile Press Freedom Case

In a significant pivot for the Kyrgyz judiciary, the Supreme Court has officially vacated the six-year prison sentence previously handed down to independent reporter Makhabat Tazhibek kyzy. On Tuesday, the high court ruled that the case must be returned to a lower court for a new trial, effectively suspending the punitive measures that had kept the investigative journalist behind bars. This decision marks a rare moment of judicial retreat in a country that international observers have recently criticized for a systematic tightening of state control over independent media outlets and anti-corruption whistleblowers.

International Advocacy Triggers Legal Review

The move by the Supreme Court follows a sustained and coordinated campaign by global human rights organizations and international bodies. A critical turning point occurred in November 2025, when the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued a public demand for Tazhibek kyzy’s immediate release, citing a lack of credible evidence for the original charges. Bolot Temirov, the editor-in-chief of Temirov Live and the journalist’s husband, noted that the court’s decision to resume proceedings was heavily influenced by the U.N. conclusion, which detailed the unlawful nature of the initial criminal prosecution.

Retaliatory Charges and the January Raid

Tazhibek kyzy was among 11 media professionals detained during a sweeping police raid on the Temirov Live newsroom in January 2024. The group was accused of inciting mass riots, though colleagues and rights groups maintain that the charges were a direct retaliation for the outlet’s investigative reporting on high level corruption within the administration of President Sadyr Japarov. While most of her colleagues were eventually acquitted, released on probation, or pardoned, Tazhibek kyzy remained the only individual still serving a full custodial sentence until this week’s Supreme Court intervention.