The media in Kyrgyzstan: A window of opportunity

Kyrgyzstan is a country in transition that has experienced political turmoil since the break-up of the Soviet Union in the mid 1990s. While Kyrgyzstan saw an opening of its media environment following the fall of the Akayev government in 2005, the following President, Bakiyev, failed to act on pledges to reform media laws.

Press freedom in Kyrgyzstan further deteriorated after the re-election of President Bakiyev in 2009. In the six months preceding the outbreak of violence in April 2010, which led to the fall of President Bakiyev, various violations were registered by Reporters without Borders and others.

In the transition phase after the fall of the government of President Bakiyev, the landscape of the Kyrgyz media changed dramatically. A window of op- portunity led to a newfound self-confidence amongst media leaders in the country.

Against this backdrop, IMS carried out a mission to Kyrgyzstan in April 2010 to assess the possibilities and challenges of Kyrgyz media entering this new era.

This report provides a detailed analysis of the situation that developed in Kyrgyzstan between April and May 2010 including some updates on events that took place in Osh following the initial IMS assessment mission in April 2010. While some immediate needs are highlighted, the recommendations are of a mainly medium and long-term nature.

An in-depth analysis of the media situation in Southern Kyrgyzstan following the violence in June 2010 is not provided in this report.