A week ago the MSN newspaper, formerly known as Moya Stolitsa Novosti, published an article presenting a list of several strategic companies and enterprises for the country, which belong to and are controlled by the President and his family. President Akaev said that by publishing libel articles one after another, the MSN newspaper smears him and his family. “The newspaper began a purposeful campaign of discrediting me and pursues far-reaching aims”, said the Kyrgyz President in his appeal to the people through Kyrgyz National Television. At the same time, President Akaev implied that he would withdraw from the lawsuit if the paper publishes a proper denial. The Chief Editor of MSN newspaper Aleksandr Kim, in an interview to Deutsche Welle, said that the paper is not going to publish any denial, as it has sufficient facts, which confirm the truth of the presented materials.

The same day, heads of three large-scale enterprises – “Kyrgyztelekom”, “Kyrgyzgaz” and “Elektricheskie stansii” – held a joint press conference and unanimously stated that the recent article published in MSN newspaper is contrary to fact. They announced that they also intend to file a lawsuit against MSN newspaper and demand compensation for undermining their professional reputation and creating a negative image in the eyes of the public.

MSN already faces a libel suit by the Vechernii Bishkek newspaper, which is demanding 120,000 euros for alleging that the paper is controlled by Adil Toigonbaev, Akaev’s son-in-law. In the latter half of 2004, MSN also faced a complaint filed by private and pro-government newspapers along with the anti-monopoly agency of the government for undercutting competition by charging too little cost. The anti-monopoly agency ordered the paper to raise its prices and recommended that a criminal case be opened against it.

In the meantime, a public meeting was held in Bishkek on 19 February involving around 200 people. The event was organized by the political bloc For Fair Elections, and representatives of such opposition political groups as the People’s Movement of Kyrgyzstan, Atajurt and Kel-Kel youth forum participated in the meeting. The Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society and other NGOs were also represented at the meeting. One of the main issues raised was the situation surrounding the MSN newspaper. At the end of the meeting, participants made a statement, which stated that the recent announcement of the President with regard to bringing a lawsuit against MSN constitutes one of the repressive measures planned for election season in Kyrgyzstan. It also states that in the light of these events, the constitutional rights of Kyrgyz citizens for independent and objective information have come under serious threat.

The situation with mass media has troubled not only local activists but the international community as well. The international organization Reporters without Borders has recently made a statement condemning the Kyrgyz government for persecution of independent media, including the case of the MSN newspaper. Human Rights Watch, another international organization, has also expressed growing concerns about the recent political developments in Kyrgyzstan. “The election will be an important test of the government’s commitment to democracy and respect for basic human rights… The government appears to be employing heavy-handed lawsuits and new tactics to silence critical print media”, states Human Rights Watch in a 14 February open letter to President Askar Akaev.