Can independent journalism survive in the age of autocracy? Bektour Iskender, co-founder of Kyrgyz news platform Kloop, reflects on the power of international investigative journalism in confronting corruption, autocracy, and neo-imperial ambition.
In Central Asia, exposing the truth comes at a price. Bektour Iskender founded Kloop to train young journalists and uncover what others wouldn’t touch: stolen billions, rigged elections, environmental devastation. His work reached far beyond Kyrgyzstan, revealing corruption networks stretching from Central Asia and the Caucasus to Western capitals.
For this, Kloop was silenced. Iskender went into exile. But the investigations continued. In this programme, Iskender explores how journalists across Central Asia and the Caucasus are building new forms of solidarity. How international reporting networks like OCCRP are mapping corruption across borders. And how cartography itself can become a tool—not of empire, but of resistance.
Your ticket is valid for the entire day, so you’re warmly welcome to attend other programs as well. You can check the full timetable here. Please note: visitors with a ticket for a specific program will be given priority. Once a venue reaches full capacity, we unfortunately won’t be able to admit additional visitors.
About Forum on European Culture
Who’s afraid of art? Now that tyrants are on the roll and more and more people in the West seem to be falling for the autocratic alternative, Forum on European Culture 2025 (June 25 – June 29) brings together international artists, writers, and thinkers to celebrate the subversive power of art and literature.
Speakers
Five days, 30+ programs, 40+ international artists, writers & thinkers, art installations, film screenings, talks and more
Historian, journalist, and Pulitzer Prize winner Anne Applebaum dissects modern dictatorship. What threat do the growing autocracies pose? When thinking of a dictator, one often imagines a malicious villain – someone we know from an action movie. Historian, journalist, and Pulitzer Prize winner Anne Applebaum challenges this image. In her latest book Autocracy, Inc., she
