A journalist in Kyrgyzstan was beaten and robbed in an attack he said on Friday was punishment for his reporting on corruption, and which drew condemnation from the United States.
A police spokesman in the capital Bishkek told AFP that the crime, which saw journalist Bolot Temirov attacked outside his media outlet's office on Thursday, had been registered as a theft.
Temirov -- editor-in-chief of investigative website Factcheck.kg -- said two assailants inflicted several injuries to his face, damaged a tooth and stole his telephone.
"Unknown people tried to find out from neighbours where our office was," Temirov wrote in a Facebook post on Friday.
The attackers ignored his laptop and other items of value, he said, labelling the incident "an attempt to frighten" him.
The US embassy in Bishkek called for a "prompt investigation", adding: "Press can only be free when journalists are able to work without intimidation and threats."