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Kyrgyz Writer Oljobai Shakir Sentenced to Five Years in Prison

On 14 May, the Alameda District Court of the Chui Oblast in Kyrgyzstan sentenced 52-year-old activist and writer Oljobai Shakir to five years imprisonment for inciting mass riots on social media against the government. At the previous hearing, Shakir a frequent and popular blogger, pleaded not guilty to the charges of slander and argued that the aim of his posts was to encourage open dialogue between the country's leadership and its people on how the government is run. During the trial, the writer's lawyer, Akmat Alagushev, demanded the acquittal of his client and announced his intention to appeal. Olzhobai Shakir has been held in the pre-trial detention center of the SCNS since August 2023 on account of the “provocative nature” of material he posted on Facebook, TikTok and YouTube. Throughout his incarceration, the writer has denied the validity of the criminal charges against him. Renowned for his critical statements against the authorities, Shakir was arrested shortly after he had publicly scrutinized the government’s controversial transfer of four hotels on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul to Uzbekistan. In a period when the government is increasingly clamping down on political opposition through social media, neither President Sadyr Japarov nor GKNB head Kamchybek Tashiev accepted Shakir’s invitation to be interviewed on the issue. Shakir is a well-established author and supporter of contemporary Kyrgyz literature, but like his activities on social media, his own work at times has proved highly controversial. Published in 2021 in a country where open discussion of LGBT+ rights is still taboo, his novel “Adam+” caused public outcry by relating the emotional challenges he faced during his daughter’s transgender transition.

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Kyrgyz Farmers Given Ultrasonic Sensors to Monitor Water Consumption

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is helping Kyrgyzstan to introduce a system of ultrasonic sensors for monitoring irrigation water consumption, the UN has announced. The main source of water for agriculture in Kyrgyzstan is melt water from mountain glaciers. But because of climate change this water may be gone by the end of the century. Even now farmers experience a shortage of irrigation water during dry periods, which naturally affects their crops and livestock. Agriculture is a key sector for Kyrgyzstan's economy, employing about 18% of the country's working-age citizens. "In recent years, water scarcity has become one of the most serious risk factors for food security and livelihoods," FAO staff have commented. To mitigate the effects of water scarcity, UN officials, together with scientists from Kyrgyzstan's Irrigation Institute, have introduced special ultrasonic sensors at hydrological posts in several pilot districts in the country's Naryn and Batken provinces. The program now distributes water to farmers, thanks to which conflicts over water between field owners have stopped. "The sensors emit ultrasonic pulses that reflect off the surface of the water. Special equipment records this information, which is then transmitted to a computer. Thus, the system allows real-time data on the water level in the canals," the FAO has said. Kyrgyz scientists, who invented the sensors, have added that the use of their equipment in low-water conditions will provide an objective accounting of water consumption. "It is not so important to a farmer how much water is in a river or canal, it is important to him how much water he will get to irrigate his field. But in order to calculate the water balance, all gauging stations should be equipped with sensors. Only a systematic approach will provide the expected result," said Vitaly Shablovsky, a staff member at the Irrigation Institute.

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Turkish Company to Manufacture Irrigation Equipment in Kyrgyzstan

This summer, a Turkish company will begin construction on a plant for the manufacture of equipment for drip and sprinkler irrigation in Kyrgyzstan. The memorandum on the project was signed on May 13 by Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry Bakyt Torobaev and the head of the company Akplas Plastik San. Ve Tic. A.S. To instigate the first stage of the build, the Turkish company will invest $10 million and the factory should be completed and fully operational within eight months. Reiterating the need for a more efficient use of water, in the light of climate change, Minister Torobaev stated that the new irrigation systems are to be installed in regions throughout Kyrgyzstan. In addition to providing the necessary equipment, the Turkish company in liaison with the state, will provide training for local farmers. Company representatives also met with the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic Akylbek Japarov, who emphasized the country’s readiness to support entrepreneurs investing in Kyrgyzstan.

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Kyrgyz Banks Try to “Warm Up” Economy With Interest Rate Cut

Commercial banks in Kyrgyzstan are expected to reduce interest rates on loans, with the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan (NBKR) lowering the rate from 13% to 11%. However, experts believe that the regulator's decision will not affect the banking sector. "We expect that now the market offers on deposits and loans will be revised. But time is needed for this. Commercial banks, financial organizations have to adapt their conditions. If currently the interest rates on loans average more than 15%, then a revision of rates is expected," Aida Karabayeva, head of the NBKR communications department, told a press conference in Bishkek. The rate cut is an attempt to warm up Kyrgyzstan's economy, weaken the national currency and increase export revenues, economists said. Thanks to the weakening of the Russian ruble against the Kyrgyz som, inflation in the country has fallen from 7.3% to 5.2%. This gives domestic producers and exporters room to maneuver. "At the moment we see that inflation risks are weakening. Previously, the tightening of monetary policy by the National Bank controlled the saving behavior of the population and the banking sector. This helps to ensure that the national currency does not depreciate," Ainura Mambetkul kyzy, head of the National Bank's economic department, told The Times of Central Asia. However, the situation has changed recently, Mambetkul kyzy said. Kyrgyzstan has enough finances to increase lending. This creates conditions for the growth of purchasing power of the population. And as a consequence, economic growth. Despite the confidence of the financial regulator, commercial banks are in no hurry to reduce interest rates on loans. In any case, they are waiting for the next statement of the financial regulator, in May this year. The fact is that Kyrgyzstan's banking system operates according to its own, domestic standards -- most of the borrowed funds are raised abroad by the second tier banks, or use citizens' deposit savings. Maerim Askarbekova, director of Senti financial company, commented: "The practice is that a decrease in the discount rate leads to a general decrease in rates in the whole market. This applies to both loans and deposits. Deposits, on the other hand, directly affect the bond market. The decrease in the discount rate affects the decrease in the price of money on the market. And if the loan that the bank has taken for its operations has foreign roots, the bank will demand lower interest rates. But, in any case, the NBKR interest rate is a benchmark."

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Case Documents for 11 Temirov Live Journalists Submitted to Court in Kyrgyzstan

Legal documents regarding the cases of eleven current and former journalists of the Temirov Live project, who are accused of calling for mass riots, have been handed over to the court. According to the Pervomaisky District Court of Bishkek, the criminal case was received by the court office and will be handed over to the judge through the automatic distribution of cases of the AIS system, 24.kg news agency has stated. As previously reported by the Times of Central Asia, on January 16, Interior Ministry officers searched the office of Temirov Live and confiscated its editorial equipment. The police also searched the journalists' homes and detained eleven current and former employees of the publication. The motivation behind the case was one of Temirov's projects called "Ait, Ait Dese," which was published on YouTube in the fall of 2023, which the authorities claim called for mass disorder. At the time, Kyrgyz Interior Minister Ulanbek Niyazbekov said the detainees weren't journalists. "We cannot [help] but respond when they disseminate inaccurate information and engage in vilification. There are those who do not know the laws of journalism and do not have the relevant knowledge. They do not know and spread misleading information, sowing confusion among the people. I believe that we should not consider them as journalists," news agencies quoted the Interior Minister as saying. The detainees were Makhabat Tazhibek kyzy, Sapar Akunbekov, Azamat Ishenbekov, Saipidin Sultanaliyev, Aktilek Kaparov, Tynystan Asypbekov, Maksat Tazhibek uulu, Joodar Buzumov, Zhumabek Turdaliyev, Aike Beishekeeva and Akyl Orozbekov. They were all taken into custody in January for two months, until March 13. Later, the court released some of the detained journalists under house arrest and on their own recognizance. Already facing a backlash over its so-called "foreign agents law," Bishkek has pushed back against international criticism of the high-profile prosecution, saying the case is not politically motivated and that those facing charges are poorly educated people masquerading as journalists. In late 2022, Kyrgyzstan deported Bolot Temirov, an investigative reporter with dual Kyrgyz and Russian nationality. "Temirov was sent to Russia by force with no belongings, no phone, no money or international passport, and in violation of deportation procedures,” the head of Reporters Without Bordfers Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk, Jeanne Cavelier stated at the time.

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Kyrgyzstan’s New 5,000 Som Banknotes Enter Circulation

A new banknote worth 5,000 som (U$56.60) has been put into circulation in Kyrgyzstan starting today, the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic has announced. The 5,000 som banknote is part of the new fifth series of the national currency, produced from a 2023 sample, and went into circulation on May 10, 2024. The new banknote contains a portrait of the renowned Kyrgyz actor and artist, Suymenkul Chokmorov on the front side, and a depiction of the famed movie theater, Ala-Too, on the obeverse. The main color and size of the banknote has remained unchanged. "The banknote of 5,000 som nominal value contains a three-level complex of modern security elements, providing reliable protection against counterfeiting. All banknotes of the national currency have the status of official means of payment in the Kyrgyz Republic and are subject to mandatory acceptance as a means of payment regardless of the year of issue," the national bank's press service stated. The first series of banknotes of Kyrgyzstan's national currency were introduced on May 10, 1993. The exchange rate then was set at 200 Soviet rubles to one Kyrgyz som.