A Kyrgyz journalist who wrote for an opposition periodical was severely beaten on June 5, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.
Abduvakhab Moniev, 34, of the opposition "Achyk sayasat" (Open Politics) weekly was hospitalized with multiple injures and bruises after unknown assailants attacked him in Bishkek on June 5.
The newspaper's deputy editor in chief, Ryskeldi Mombekov, told RFE/RL that the attack was connected to Moniev's work.
Moniev had written a series of articles critical of top government official, with Kyrgyzstan set to hold a presidential election on July 23.
Mombekov said that Moniev had received several threatening phone calls recently.