Power Lines bonus episode five: Extended interview with Bektour Iskender
This week’s bonus episode is an extended interview with Bektour Iskender, journalist and educator. He is also the co-founder of Kloop, an NGO and independent news publication in Kyrgyzstan, best known for its large-scale investigations.
Through his work with Kloop, Bektour trains young journalists to cover politics and investigate corruption, while also reporting on the most significant stories happening in his home country and the region.
Anastasiia spoke to Bektour about his work in journalism and the history of Russian colonial aggression in Kyrgyzstan – similar to that of Ukraine – and whose present is also being shaped by Russia’s war.
Comments (4)
I enjoy hearing the first hand perspectives of K.I. journalists. Everyone else are just reporting second hand news …
Good Stuff
Dear Power Lines team - I am a Patron of the Kyiv Independent. I am a Ukrainian-Canadian, descended from Ukrainian villages in Ivano-Frankivsk (between Horodenka, Kolomaya and Kitsman). Congratulations on supporting this podcast, I find it to be very, very good. There is one thing I am thinking about a lot lately - and that is the demographic war Russia has been waging on Ukraine, particularly in the South and East for decades. This is now ethnic-cleansing writ-large and on steroids - with constant deportation of Ukrainian women and children, and the importation of Russians. Can you possibly consider taking up this subject with an expert? My big fear is post-Ukrainian victory. What will happen in these regions? How does Ukraine get back control over its demographics? How will the Ukrainian government and Ukrainian culture deal with this? What are people on the ground in Ukraine saying about this? What could the policy options be - what is the best Ukrainian policy response to this, that is in line with modern Ukrainian and European values? Thank you. Slava Ukraini.
Hello – thank you so much for your comment. I am passing along these questions and ideas to Nastya and Jakub!