Kyrgyzstan warns U.S. against interfering in its internal affairs

BISHKEK, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Kyrgyz president's spokesperson Erbol Sultanbaev said on Wednesday that the United States should not interfere in Kyrgyzstan's internal affairs.

In a social network comment on the statement by the head of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the U.S. Department of State on the termination of the activities of Azattyk Media, Sultanate wrote that they made the statements without being aware of the real situation since they are far from Kyrgyzstan.

"The Ministry of Culture acted within its powers provided by law for spreading false information about developments at the border and applied to the judicial authorities, which, in the course of the proceedings, made the relevant decision," Sultanbaev said.

The judiciary in Kyrgyzstan, he said, is independent and makes its own decisions, and nobody has the right to interfere in their work.

On Oct. 26, 2022, the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy of Kyrgyzstan blocked the site of Azattyk for two months due to the material about the conflict on the border with Tajikistan in September 2022.

The ministry then stated that the publication "contradicts the national interests of Kyrgyzstan." Azattyk refused to remove the video, and the block was extended.

On April 27, the Leninsky District Court of Bishkek decided to terminate the activities of Azattyk Media as a mass media outlet.

In late April, the U.S. State Department expressed "deep concern" about the court's decision to terminate the activities of Azattyk Media, the local branch of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, commented on the court's decision on the lawsuit against Azattyk Media. He called on the Kyrgyz authorities to withdraw their order to close Azattyk.

Sultanbaev noted that Kyrgyzstan is an open and free country, adding "we have no restrictions on freedom of speech and freedom of the media. In our country, every citizen has the right to openly express his or her opinion and uses this right to the full. All organizations have the same rights."

"Therefore, we consider the above statements inappropriate and unfounded, and we urge not to interfere in the internal affairs of our country," Sultanbaev wrote.