On March 22, the Pervomaisky District Court of Bishkek extended the period of house arrest for blogger Yrys Zhekshenaliev until May 25. According to his lawyer Nurbek Sadykov, the measure of restraint for the blogger was extended at the request of the prosecutor.
“Every two months, the court must decide to extend whether to change the measure of restraint for the accused. As of today, March 25, the term of the measure of restraint expires. The prosecutor filed a motion to extend the measure of restraint and the period for consideration of this trial, ”the lawyer said in an interview with Kloop.
He added that the court appointed the debate of the parties for April 3.
Zhekshenaliev was detained on August 14, 2022 due to the publication of an archival video message by the ex-chairman of the State Committee for National Security Abdil Segizbaev on Facebook in the public “Polit Uznik”. Segizbaev stated in this appeal that it was necessary to preserve the Zhetim-Too deposit in the Naryn region for posterity.
A criminal case was opened against Zhekshenaliev under the article “Mass riots” (“Calls for active disobedience to the lawful demands of government officials and for mass riots, as well as calls for violence against citizens”).
Deputies of the Jogorku Kenesh and human rights activists have repeatedly called on the court to release the blogger, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs to completely stop the criminal case against him.