In the courtroom of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, the verdict of Azamat Ichenbekov's trial has just been announced: five years in prison. On October 10, the thinly-bearded 27-year-old was found guilty, along with three other journalists from the investigative media Temirov Live, of encouraging public disorder by publishing articles about the corruption endemic among the Kyrgyz elite, which embarrassed authorities.

However, Ichenbekov didn't take part in the investigations like the other journalists. He adapted and recited the content in the form of poems, which are very popular on the Temirov Live YouTube channel. The young man is an akyn, a Kyrgyz epic poet whose status is highly respected in this mountainous Central Asian country. For these traditional storytellers, his heavy sentence is a signal that they will not escape the repression that has been raining down on all civil society and independent journalists since President Sadyr Japarov came to power in 2021.

The akyns' art consists of improvising verses during the aitysh, competitions pitting two poets against each other in a verbal joust set to the rhythm of the komuz, the national string instrument. These traditional Kyrgyz versions of rap battles are popular celebrations, often broadcast on television. They appeal to a wide audience, as the poets address national history and spirituality, as well as the population's everyday problems.

"We're like a bridge between power and the people," said Jamaica Tokonova. The 29-year-old, in sweatshirt and sneakers, is one of the few female voices of the akyn community in Kyrgyzstan, which numbers some 50 groups across the country. "For example, I write about violence against women, whereas other akyns talk more about politics and the evils of society," she said between sips of tea in a Bishkek café. For her, this irreverent, almost sacred art cannot be censored. She quoted this Kyrgyz proverb: "You can cut off heads, but you can't cut off tongues."

Yet it's the language of the akyns that the authorities are trying to get to grips with, almost systematically arresting these wise poets for calling for chaos, as soon as their texts venture to mock or criticize the policies pursued by those in power. After Ichenbekov, the young akyn Askat Jetigen was in turn sentenced on appeal to three years' imprisonment on October 18, for a Facebook post attacking President Japarov and his right-hand man, the powerful Kamchybek Tashiev, head of the secret services, describing them as "executioners of the people."

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