The Kyrgyz Interior Ministry said on February 13 that its officers had detained independent journalist Ali Ergeshev at the Manas airport in Bishkek on hooliganism charges. It is unclear why Ergeshev was detained amid an ongoing crackdown on independent media in Kyrgyzstan, which once had the most vibrant media space in Central Asia. Last month, Kyrgyz police arrested 11 former and current reporters of the Temirov Live investigative group on a charge of "calls for disobedience and mass riots" over the group's reporting. Other Kyrgyz media outlets and reporters have been under pressure in recent months. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, click here.
