Sadyr Japarov

Kyrgyzstan’s new media law hands sweeping control to the government, raising fears of censorship and shrinking space for independent journalism.

The Kyrgyz president signed a new law allowing fines for spreading “false information” online just after a court in Kyrgyzstan ordered the closure of independent broadcaster April TV for allegedly inciting unrest.

Azim Roy vanished from the public eye after relocating to the United States in the 90s, with almost no updates about him for two decades. That is, until a photograph surfaced showing him sitting on a couch next to the President of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov, and his in-law, Akylbek Tumonbayev.

The public first heard of Azim Roy in late 2023 when the State Security Committee of Kyrgyzstan declared him internationally wanted, only to drop the search abruptly a short while later.