Orozobekova was born on November 17, 1975, in At-Bashy district of the Naryn region of Kyrgyzstan in a teacher's family. She studied in then called Pogranichnik secondary school in the village of Pogranichnik (nowadays the village of Kazybek, named after Kazybek Mambetimin-uulu (1901-1936), the dissident poet murdered by the Stalinist regime for his verses against Bolsheviks.)[citation needed]
In 1999-2007, she worked for international media outlets such as RFE/RL Kyrgyz Service, BBC Kyrgyz service and IWPR, while living in Bishkek.
She established and officially registered an independent Kyrgyz-language newspaper entitled "De Facto" in 2006 (its co-owner is her husband, Jengishbek Edigeev). And she was its editor-in-chief.[1]
In 2008 summer time, she left Kyrgyzstan to Switzerland because of threats by circles close to Janybek ("Janysh") Bakiev, a brother of the then President Kurmanbek Bakiev, who was ousted from the authoritarian power by the people's revolution on 7 April 2010. She left behind a court case which her lawyer was confident that they would win.[1]
She holds an Executive Master in International Negotiation and Policy Making from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies and an MA in International and European Security from the University of Geneva.[3]
Analytical journalism experience
Dr. Roza Otunbayeva, then Foreign minister of Kyrgyzstan, at the Azattyk Media studio in Bishkek (sitting on the left), together with journalists Cholpon Orozobekova, Aziza Turdueva, Kubat Otorbaev, Kanat Subakojoev, and studio manager Maksat Toroev (sitting). 07 June 2006.
As an analyst, she published articles in English on Central Asian issues.[2]
Her research paper “The US drone policy under International Law” was published by The Institute of Regional Studies, Islamabad.
She worked as director of non-governmental centre “Media-Ordo” in Kyrgyzstan from 2002 to 2007, which implemented projects for professional development of journalists.
Kyrgyz journalists Jangyl Jusupjan (right), Cholpon Orozobekova and Dr. Tynchtykbek Chorotegin together with a film actor Aziz Beishenaliev (second on the right) at the RFE/RL headquarters in Prague. 11 August 2006.
She established an independent newspaper, De Facto in Kyrgyzstan in 2008. De-facto became very popular and is still in the frontline among Kyrgyz language newspapers in Kyrgyzstan, where Cholpon sold her shares in 2012.[citation needed]
She has 20 years of professional experience in journalism and project management. She started her career in 1994 as a correspondent of the Kyrgyz newspaper “Obon” when she was its youngest team member.
Private life
Jengishbek Edigeev, a Kyrgyz journalist. 27.5.2013.
Cholpon Orozobekova is married and has three daughters. Her husband is Kyrgyz journalist Jengishbek Edigeev (in Kyrgyz - Жеңишбек Эдигеев), who also graduated the Faculty of Journalism at the Kyrgyz National University named after Jusup Balasagyn in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. He recently,[when?] published a Kyrgyz-French dictionary.
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