Slain Journalist's Brother Beaten In Southern Kyrgyzstan

August 11, 2011
OSH, Kyrgyzstan, -- A younger brother of slain journalist Alisher Saipov has been badly beaten in the southern Kyrgyz city of Osh, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.
 
Osh Interior Ministry spokesman Zamir Sydykov told RFE/RL on August 11 that Shakhrukh Saipov is currently in the hospital following an assault on August 10 and refuses to talk to local police. Sydykov said the incident is being investigated.
 
Saipov's father, Avaz Saipov, confirmed to RFE/RL that his son was badly beaten and has been hospitalized.
 
Shakhrukh's brother, Alisher Saipov, a Kyrgyz citizen of Uzbek origin who was chief editor of the "Siyosat" (Politics) newspaper, was shot dead near his office in Osh on October 24, 2007.
 
Alisher Saipov, who had also worked for Voice of America's Uzbek Service and RFE/RL, often wrote about the political and social affairs in neighboring Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
 
His colleagues and human rights activists say he was killed for his critical articles about Uzbek officials.
 
Shakhrukh Saipov, 26, reportedly owns his own online news portal.