The attack on the journalist of radio “Svoboda” [“Liberty”] on south of Kyrgyzstan caused a wide response. In addition to human rights and journalistic organizations, members of the Kyrgyz parliament also joined the investigation.
Recall that the operator of the Kyrgyz service of radio “Svoboda” [“Liberty”], Aybek Kulchumanov, shot a southern capital using a drone from a height of 150 meters as part of a regular journalistic investigation. At that moment, unknown people attacked him, inflicted several blows, thereafter they took away the drone’s remote control, the tripod, the video camera, and the official certificate of employment of the radio “Svoboda”, his accreditation to the Parliament and car keys.
“At first, a young man in a tracksuit approached the journalist, who struck the journalist. Then, two more young men moved up. They asked the operator “Who sent him to shoot Rayim Matraimov?” At the end, an unknown man drove up in Lexus. The latter began to threaten Aybek Kulchumanov,” the editorial office of the radio “Svoboda” reported.
On the fact of the attack, Kulchumanov wrote a statement to the Department of Internal Affairs in Osh. The media representative’s appeal was registered in the Register of crimes and misconduct under the Part 4 of the Article 201 “Robbery on a Large Scale”.
On the same evening, September 28, unknown persons, who had attacked the journalist, arrived at Osh Police department, accompanied by a lawyer. They handed over to the authorities everything they took from Aybek Kulchumanov. They refused to comment on what happened.
Later, on the Facebook page of Osh city’s Department of Internal Affairs, information appeared that a resident of the southern capital had contacted the police with a statement that a drone had fallen on his head in his courtyard, causing him injuries.
The journalist of the radio “Svoboda” Aibek Kulchumanov is not in the best condition too.
“Because of the injuries he has difficulty walking, his right side hurts. He undergoes tomography, checks the kidneys. Aybek says that he has difficulty breathing. The traumatologist prescribed a remedy. It is impossible to receive treatment at home. In addition, there is a suspicion of a concussion,” said Anara Mamieva, an official representative of the journalist.
The incident with the journalist of the editorial office of radio “Svoboda” caused a public response. The Kyrgyz citizens immediately connected the attackers with the notorious former deputy head of the customs service of Kyrgyzstan, Rayimbek Matraimov, and were right. The editors of radio “Svoboda” managed to find out that one of the attackers on Aybek Kulchumanov in the city of Osh was a close relative of Matraimov. Information about this was reported in the press service of the Internal Affairs Directorate of Osh. However, the police refused to name the suspect in the attack in the interests of the investigation.
Information about the attack on the journalist reached the very top. Deputies of the Kyrgyz Parliament demanded to examine the situation and punish the responsible. People’s Deputy Zhanarbek Akaev commented on what happened to the ACCA.
“We demand an impartial investigation into the attack on the journalist of radio “Svoboda”. In Kyrgyzstan, no one should be above the law. I personally contacted the administration of Osh Police and said that they should conduct their work based on laws and not on acquaintances or anyone else’s influence. In Osh, violent events often occur. It is not difficult to solve this problem, but the corresponding officers lack the will to do this,” said the parliamentarian.
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