Collage from Temir Bolotov's Facebook page
Kyrgyz investigative journalists Bolot Temirov and Makhabat Tazhibek kyzy have been named laureates of The Albies, an international human rights award established by the Clooney Foundation for Justice. The 2026 honorees also include Malawian girls’ rights advocate Vanessa Mwangala, American photojournalist Lynsey Addario, the Congolese organization Justice Plus, and Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith.
The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place at London’s Natural History Museum on October 9.
Temirov said in a Facebook post that he regards the award as international recognition of the work of the Temirov Live KG and Ait Ait Dese online projects, which have carried out anti-corruption investigations.
Temirov was detained after his outlets published an investigation into the so-called “Tashiev clan” in January 2022. He was later convicted of document forgery and deported from Kyrgyzstan after being stripped of his citizenship. He now lives abroad but continues his journalistic work. In June 2026, his complaint was registered by the UN Human Rights Committee.
Temirov Live KG and Ait Ait Dese were subsequently led by Temirov’s wife, journalist Makhabat Tazhibek kyzy. The two journalists worked together on anti-corruption investigations that attracted wide public attention.
Tazhibek kyzy was detained in January 2024 along with 10 colleagues. They were accused of calling for protests and mass unrest. All were initially remanded in custody for two months; seven were later transferred to house arrest or released on written undertakings not to leave.
In October 2024, Bishkek’s Leninsky District Court sentenced Tazhibek kyzy to six years in prison. In March 2026, Kyrgyzstan’s Supreme Court overturned the ruling and ordered a retrial, while her pretrial restrictions were changed to a written undertaking not to leave the country. She was released from prison pending the retrial, but remains subject to the travel ban.
On August 25, the Leninsky District Court rejected the defence’s request to let Tazhibek kyzy travel to London to attend The Albies ceremony. Her lawyer, Akynbek Nogoev, said the decision concerned not only his client’s status, but also “the status of Kyrgyzstan as a whole.”
The Albies is an annual award launched in 2022 by George and Amal Clooney. Named after South African judge and anti-apartheid activist Albie Sachs, it aims to cast a protective international spotlight on people and organizations that defend justice and human rights despite serious personal risks.
