All Prisoners
Saipidin Sultanaliev
Investigative journalist (Archa Media, former Next TV)
Acquitted (10 October 2024)
Article 278(3) – calls for mass unrest of the Criminal Code of Kyrgyzstan
Saipidin Sultanaliev was detained by the Ministry of Internal Affairs on 16 January 2024 as part of a large-scale case against journalists associated with Temirov LIVE. He was charged under Article 278(3) of the Criminal Code for allegedly calling for mass unrest and disobedience to authorities. The investigation was conducted jointly by the State Committee for National Security and the police. Court hearings were held behind closed doors, and defense lawyers criticized the lack of transparency and the political nature of the case. Initially, Sultanaliyev was held in pre-trial detention despite serious heart problems, which led to his temporary release on medical grounds. On 10 October 2024, the Leninsky District Court acquitted him, finding the charges unsubstantiated. However, even after acquittal, some travel restrictions reportedly remained in place. International organizations considered his prosecution a form of political and journalistic persecution.
Sultanaliev was arrested and held in pre-detention centre for 10 months
Suffers from heart disease