8 Aug 2019 17:48

Kyrgyz news agency suffers DDoS attack, Atambayev's TV channel blocked

BISHKEK. Aug 8 (Interfax) - The Kyrgyz news agency 24.kg suffered a DDoS attack, and the April TV channel owned by ex-Kyrgyz president Almazbek Atambayev was blocked on Thursday.

"Since very early this morning, our website has been subjected to a massive DDoS attack. That is why you from time to time cannot open the 24.kg website and read the news. Our team is looking into this situation. We are making every effort to restore the site as soon as possible," 24.kg director Asel Otorbayeva wrote on her page in social media on Thursday.

"We keep on covering the situation in the country and we will, no matter what happens," Otorbayeva said.

The April TV channel owned by Atambayev was removed from the list of television channels to choose from after the police forces began storming Atambayev's house in the village of Koi-Tash on Wednesday.

"The authorities set up a complete information blockade for Kyrgyz television viewers. April TV's transmission was cut off one and a half or two hours after the storming began yesterday," the television channel said in a statement received by Interfax on Thursday.

Several television towers were forcibly switched off in several Kyrgyz regions. "April TV also disappeared from the list of channels offered by the leading online television providers. On-air broadcasting has yet to be restored," the channel said.

"April TV regards this as an instance of blatant suppression of freedom of speech. We are calling on the authorities and Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov to stop disgracing themselves and resume the operation of all TV towers in this country," it said.