Zamira Sydykova
Encyclopedia
Zamira Sydykova is the Kyrgyz
ambassador to the United States
and Canada
, having been appointed to that position by President
Kurmanbek Bakiyev
.
Sydykova was born in what is now Bishkek
, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. At the time of her birth the city was known as Frunze and was the capital of the Kyrgyz SSR, a subdivision of the Soviet Union. The city changed its name to Bishkek after gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Sydykova studied journalism at the prestigious Moscow State University
and after graduating began working as a reporter for the popular newspaper, Komsomolets Kirgizii, the local organ of the Soviet communist party's
youth wing, Komsomol
. In 1992, after Kyrgyzstan became independent, she founded the country's first independent newspaper, Respublika ("Republic") and as editor-in-chief she struggled to promote freedom of the press and the concept of an open society. Her criticism of then president Askar Akayev
and his increasingly authoritarian regime resulted in her arrest and imprisonment, along with repeated attempts by the authorities to close down the newspaper.
In 2000 she was awarded the Courage in Journalism award by the International Women's Media Foundation for her efforts to promote free media.
In 2005 she was appointed to the position of ambassador to the United States as a result of president Bakiyev's landslide election victory, following the popular uprising that forced president Akayev to flee the country (see: Tulip Revolution
).
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
ambassador to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, having been appointed to that position by President
President of Kyrgyzstan
The President of Kyrgyzstan is the head of state and the highest official of Kyrgyzstan. The President, according to the constitution, "is the symbol of the unity of people and state power, and is the guarantor of the Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic, and of an individual and citizen." The...
Kurmanbek Bakiyev
Kurmanbek Bakiyev
Kurmanbek Saliyevich Bakiyev is a politician who served as the second President of Kyrgyzstan, from 2005 to 2010...
.
Sydykova was born in what is now Bishkek
Bishkek
Bishkek , formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and the largest city of Kyrgyzstan.Bishkek is also the administrative centre of Chuy Province which surrounds the city, even though the city itself is not part of the province but rather a province-level unit of Kyrgyzstan.The name is thought to...
, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. At the time of her birth the city was known as Frunze and was the capital of the Kyrgyz SSR, a subdivision of the Soviet Union. The city changed its name to Bishkek after gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Sydykova studied journalism at the prestigious Moscow State University
Moscow State University
Lomonosov Moscow State University , previously known as Lomonosov University or MSU , is the largest university in Russia. Founded in 1755, it also claims to be one of the oldest university in Russia and to have the tallest educational building in the world. Its current rector is Viktor Sadovnichiy...
and after graduating began working as a reporter for the popular newspaper, Komsomolets Kirgizii, the local organ of the Soviet communist party's
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the only legal, ruling political party in the Soviet Union and one of the largest communist organizations in the world...
youth wing, Komsomol
Komsomol
The Communist Union of Youth , usually known as Komsomol , was the youth division of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The Komsomol in its earliest form was established in urban centers in 1918. During the early years, it was a Russian organization, known as the Russian Communist Union of...
. In 1992, after Kyrgyzstan became independent, she founded the country's first independent newspaper, Respublika ("Republic") and as editor-in-chief she struggled to promote freedom of the press and the concept of an open society. Her criticism of then president Askar Akayev
Askar Akayev
Askar Akayevich Akayev served as the President of Kyrgyzstan from 1990 until his overthrow in the March 2005 Tulip Revolution....
and his increasingly authoritarian regime resulted in her arrest and imprisonment, along with repeated attempts by the authorities to close down the newspaper.
In 2000 she was awarded the Courage in Journalism award by the International Women's Media Foundation for her efforts to promote free media.
In 2005 she was appointed to the position of ambassador to the United States as a result of president Bakiyev's landslide election victory, following the popular uprising that forced president Akayev to flee the country (see: Tulip Revolution
Tulip Revolution
The Tulip Revolution or First Kyrgyz Revolution refers to the overthrow of President Askar Akayev and his government in the Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan after the parliamentary elections of February 27 and of March 13, 2005...
).