Former RFE/RL Journalist Could Be Charged In Kyrgyzstan Over Social Media Comments

Retired former RFE/RL journalist Bayan Jumagulova, who lives in Germany, told RFE/RL on June 20 that she was summoned by the police in Bishkek, where she had arrived earlier in June, for questioning in a case launched against her on a charge of inciting hatred. The case was launched over her posts on Facebook, where the 65-year-old expressed personal opinions about the spread of Arabic culture in her native Kyrgyzstan. Jumagulova, who left RFE/RL in 2007, added that she was ordered to come to the police on June 22 and that a court will decide on her pretrial restrictions then. Kyrgyz officials have yet to comment on the situation. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, click here.