Independent Kyrgyz Journalist Severely Beaten

A journalist in the Kyrgyz town of Nookat has been hospitalized after being severely beaten, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.

Almaz Tashiev's relatives told RFE/RL that he might have been beaten by the police.

Local police officials denounced the allegations.

It's not known if the attack was related to Tashiev's work.

The attack on Tashiev is the sixth on an independent journalist in Kyrgyzstan in the last six months.