OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media meets with Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan

On 17 February 2021, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), Teresa Ribeiro, met with Ambassador Bakyt Dzhusupovto to discuss co-operation between the Office of the Representative and the authorities of Kyrgyzstan.

During the meeting, Ribeiro elaborated on the thematic priorities of her tenure and expressed her commitment to assisting the government in implementing the commitments in the field of media freedom.

Dzhusupov reiterated the openness of his government to respecting freedom of the media and an open internet. The Representative and the ambassador exchanged opinions on the issue of social media regulation and the rights of journalists and bloggers. They also discussed plans for future RFoM events in Central Asia.

Ribeiro also referred to the case of blogger Yulia Barabina and the claims of ex-civil servant Rayimbek Matraimov against a number of media outlets. Dzhusupov expressed his willingness to provide further information on the cases.