Azamat Ishembekov
Azamat Ishembekov is a human rights defender, journalist, and akyn collaborating with the YouTube-based project Ayt Ayt Dese, which aims at popularising human rights issues by performing and publishing folk songs on human rights topics. Azamat Ishembekov has uncovered and addressed corruption in Kyrgyzstan, transforming investigative materials of Temirov live media outlet into traditional art forms and poetry.
Human rights defenders (HRDs) in Kyrgyzstan are subjected to smear campaigns, attacks, intimidation, and harassment. Although there are no laws in place which directly target the work of HRDs, the legal system still does not offer protection for HRDs due to consistent corruption at all levels of government, the continuous practice of ill-treatment and torture with impunity, and the lack of independence of monitoring and oversight bodies.
