After the death of famous journalist Alisher Saipov, the Ministry of Internal Affairs conducted an investigation and searched Osh office of Alisher Saipov and came to conclusion that he was in some kind of relationship with religious extremists and the Uzbek opposition. According to the law enforcement bodies, Alisher Saipov harbored Kabul Parpiev, leader of the Andijan events, and later helped him to escape in Kazakhstan, says 24.kg. Alisher Saipov allegedly met with the leader of Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Takhir Yuldashev and received remuneration from him.

On 24 October in its declaration by the Presidency, the EU has seriously condemned the murder of Saipov and said that the EU believes in the importance of freedom of media and expression and the respect of Human Rights in the development of a democratic and pluralistic society. The EU praised the work of Saipov and his contribution to the protection of human rights. The EU then urges the Kyrgyz authorities to conduct an immediate investigation of Saipov’s death and find the murderer.

Further, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) that supported the newspaper Siyosat, the founder and editor of which was Alisher Saipov, is not happy with the government action and reaction to the death of their colleague. The press-release published by the Foundation says:

After his death, an October 30 press release of the Interior Ministry of Kyrgyzstan, tried to blacken Alisher’s reputation by linking his name to Islamic extremism, a crude attempt to divert attention from the real issue, which is the threat he was under from those who objected to his reporting. In fact, Alisher Saipov’s record of professionalism and courage speaks for itself. He was a bright and brave young man, who exemplified hope for the future and was a source of pride and hope for the Uzbek and Kyrgyz people.

Kyrgyzstan seeks to be seen as an island of freedom in Central Asia. If the government wishes to advance that image, it must distance itself from this repugnant smear campaign against Alisher, cease harassing the staff of Siyosat, and provide them and other independent journalists in Kyrgyzstan with the protection they need to continue their work. Not least, the authorities need to carry out a serious and impartial investigation of the murder of Alisher Saipov.

Picture taken from Flickr