2016-10-24

Round table on “Free Media and Human Rights”

On October 21, 2016 the OSCE Academy in Bishkek within the module on “Human rights and international law” organized round table on “Free Media and Human Rights” moderated by visiting lecturer Mr Dieter von Blarer. Students of the OSCE Academy had a chance to ask questions and discuss the influence of free media on human rights with Mr Erlan Alimbaev, Deputy Ombudsman of Kyrgyzstan, Mr Ilim Karypbekov, Director of the Public Tele-Radio Corporation of Kyrgyzstan, Ms Silvia Pogolsa, Human Dimension Officer of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek and Mr Aibek Chekoshev, Chief Editor of the newspaper “Obshestvennyi reiting”.

During the opening of the event Ms Indira Satarkulova, Deputy Director of the OSCE Academy, welcomed the participants and showed a video, which reflected the difference of mass media in Soviet times and nowadays. Mr Erlan Alimbaev gave a speech on legal awareness of the population of Kyrgyzstan. He also highlighted the significant level of legal nihilism and its effect on the lives of ordinary people in Kyrgyzstan.

Mr Ilim Karypbekov, Director of the Public Tele-Radio Corporation of Kyrgyzstan, talked about the role and position of public TV in the questions related to the protection of human rights. He informed students about measures undertaken to provide the Kyrgyz population and ethnic minorities with access to reliable information. Among issues with mass media Mr Karypbekov identified lack of financial support from state budget, shortage professionally educated experts and language barriers.

Ms Silvia Pogolsa gave a presentation on media freedom and Internet where she explained the difference between human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Mr Aibek Chekoshev shared his practical knowledge and noted that among Central Asian countries Kyrgyzstan takes leading place on freedom to access information. However, mass media experiences problems with objectivity that is the issue which is closely related to problem of broadcasting information subjectively.