Kanyshai Mamyrkulova
Journalist and Civil Activist
She has worked as a journalist for over 25 years, including as a correspondent, editor, and founder of her own independent media outlet, and has been active on social media as an independent critic of government policy.
As of February 2026, she is not in prison but under probation supervision.
Her sentence was modified by the Bishkek City Court, reducing her probation term and maintaining legal restrictions.
Kanyshai Mamyrkulova was charged with:
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Calling for mass riots (Article 278 of the Kyrgyz Criminal Code)
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Inciting interethnic/ethnic, racial or regional discord (Article 330 of the Criminal Code)
According to authorities, these charges were based on her critical social media posts about the Kyrgyz-Tajik border situation that they characterized as “false information” and potentially destabilizing.
The Bishkek City Court on 13 of February acquitted journalist Kanyshai Mamyrkulov ezhe under Article 330 of the Criminal Code – incitement to discord, but found guilty under Article 278 of the Criminal Code – calls for mass riots and reduced the probation period to 3 years.
Initial detention and pre-trial detention: Held in custody after her arrest in March 2025, initially under detention until later hearings.
Trial proceedings: The trial experienced delays (e.g., a session postponed because the prosecutor failed to appear).
Verdict:
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Initially sentenced to six years’ imprisonment with probation supervision by a district court in July 2025.
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Later, the Bishkek City Court revised the sentence, reduced her probation period to three years, and maintained restrictions, and she was found not guilty on one of the two charges (the incitement to hatred charge) while upholding the mass riots charge under probation terms.
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Restrictions as part of sentence:
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Curfew (not to leave home after 22:00/10 p.m. until early morning)
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Ban on posting on social media
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Travel restrictions and supervised probation
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Mamyrkuliva was initially detained in a Bishkek detention facility after her arrest. However, following trial outcomes in July 2025 and subsequent court revisions, she was released from custody in the courtroom and is under probation supervision, not serving a traditional prison sentence at this time.
There is no reliable verified public information available about her current physical or mental health condition from reputable reporting as of the latest sources. (No credible source mentions her health status.)
