Makhabat Tazhibek Kyzy

Makhabat Tazhibek Kyzy (; born May 13, 1991) is a Kyrgyz investigative journalist, who has been arrested for her work with the anti-corruption news portal Temirov Live. Following the arrest and deportation of her journalist husband, Bolot Temirov, in 2022, Tazhibek Kyzy succeeded him as the director of Temirov Live. As of October 10, 2024, she herself was sentenced to a six-year prison term for her work as an investigative journalist. Their son was officially made a ward of the state rather than being legally designated to the care of family members.

Early life and education Makhabat Tazhibek Kyzy was born on May 13, 1991, in the Issyk-Kul Region of Kyrgyzstan. She is a Multiple Grand Prix winner in competitions for traditional storytelling (dastanchi) and poetry (manaschi). She entered Kyrgyz National University in 1999 to study law, but left school in her third year due to disagreement with Soviet teaching methods. One distinctive feature of Temirov Live was the publication of investigations narrated by poets (akyns) in a Kyrgyz traditional style. In 2021, Tazhibek Kyzy joined Temirov Live and founded its social media channel Ait Ait Dese.

Career In 2022, Tazhibek Kyzy appeared at the World Justice Forum where she spoke about the arrest of Bolot Temirov. Temirov was arrested on January 22, 2022 after Temirov Live published an exposé alleging corruption involving President Sadyr Japarov and security chief Kamchybek Tashiev. On November 23, 2022 Temirov's Kyrgyz citizenship was unlawfully revoked and he was deported to Russia. Following the arrest, Tazhibek Kyzy took over management of Temirov Live. They were tried in court on charges of producing and distributing content held to be "obliquely conspiring to incite mass unrest" by “discrediting” Kyrgyz authorities. International human rights organizations consider these charges to be unsubstantiated.

As of October 10, 2024, in Leninsky District Court in Bishkek, Makhabat Tazhibek Kyzy was convicted and was sentenced to a six-year prison term. In addition, the 12-year-old son of Temirov and Tazhibek Kyzy was made a ward of the state, an unusual and concerning decision since relatives were available to care for him. International human rights organizations see the arrests of those associated with Temirov Live as part of a broader pattern of attempts by the Kyrgyz government to silence critics and have called for the dropping of charges against them and their release.

As of April 9, 2025, it was announced that President Sadyr Japarov would grant a pardon to Azamat Ishenbekov. His release is credited to international expressions of concern over press freedom and human rights. Tazhibek Kyzy at that point became the only person from Temirov Live to remain in prison.

On 10 March 2026, the Supreme Court overturned Tazhibek Kyzy's conviction and ordered a retrial of her case. On 23 March, the Lenin District Court of Bishkek ordered Tazhibek Kyzy's release, replacing her custodial sentence with travel restrictions. The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomed Tazhibek Kyzyz's release, and urged Kyrgyz authorities to drop all the charges against her.