WASHINGTON, June 21 (UPI) -- Human Rights Watch said Tuesday it was concerned recent laws adopted in Kyrgyzstan curbed certain freedoms in the wake of last year's ethnic violence.
At least 470 people were killed during ethnic conflicts near Osh and Jalal Abad in June 2010. Most of the victims of the violence were ethnic Uzbeks.
A resolution adopted in May gave instructions to bar the chairman of a commission investigating the ethnic violence from entering the country. A separate resolution in June blocked the news Web site Ferghana.ru, which reportedly heavily on the conflict, from the country.
Ole Solvang, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, in a statement complained freedom of expression and information was vital for the country as it tries to overcome ethnic turmoil.
"Stifling voices that do not agree with the government version of last year's violence will only exacerbate those tensions and could cause unforeseen consequences," the researcher said.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International in separate reports said investigations into the ethnic violence were flawed.
Kyrgyz President Roza Otunbayeva acknowledged the shortcomings by saying there was "no trust in the courts" in Kyrgyzstan.
