Kyrgyzstan
22.06.01
Urgent Interventions
Kyrgyzstan: Arrest and ill treatment of a Human Rights activist
URGENT APPEAL – THE OBSERVATORY
KGZ 001/0106/OBS 052
Arrest / Ill-treatment of an activist
Kyrgyzstan
15th june 2001
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, an FIDH and OMCT venture, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Kyrgyzstan.
Brief description of the facts :
The Observatory has been informed by the Kyrgyz Committee for Human Rights (KCHR) of new acts of harassment against a KCHR activist in Jalal-Abad.
According to the information received, Adymamat Kadyrbekov, a KCHR member, was stopped by a member of the Governmental Auto Inspection (GAI) in Jalal-Abad, on 12th June 2001, as he was in a taxi heading to a bus station to go home.
As he showed his ID card of KCHR membership, the militiaman reacted offensively and said that “he is sick of all these law defenders”. Then, two militiamen handcuffed him and put him into a car. While they were driving, he was bitten and Kadyrbekov says that he defended himself as he could. He was transferred to the City Department of Internal Affairs and the investigator opened a criminal case against him for “use of violence in resistance to the authority representatives”, according to article 341 of the Criminal Code. He risks up to 5 years imprisonment. Now, Kadyrbekov is free but remains under control of the militia.
The Observatory expresses its deepest concerns about this arrest, recalling that the KCHR members are subjected to permanent acts of harassment in their daily activities.
Actions requested:
Please write to the Kyrgyz authorities demanding that they:
i. drop all the charges against Mr. Kadyrbekov, since they are arbitrary;
ii. put an end to all forms of harassment of human rights defenders and their organisations ;
iii. ensure the implementation of the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 19998, in particular its article 1 which provides that “every person has the right, individually or collectively, to promote the protection and fulfilment of human rights and fundamental liberties at the national and international level.”
iv. guarantee the effective respect of fundamental rights and liberties in accordance with the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the international and regional pacts and covenants ratified by Kyrgyzstan.
Addresses :
The President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Askar Akayev, Kyrgyzskaya Respublika, 720003 g. Bishkek, Prospekt Chuy, 205 Fax: + 996 (312) 218 627 ; E-mail:ghpress2@rhl.bishkek.su
Geneva-Paris, 15th June 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken, quoting the reference number given above.
The Observatory, an FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line
Tel : FIDH : +33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 ;
OMCT : +41 22 809 49 39
E-mail : observatoire@iprolink.ch
KGZ 001/0106/OBS 052
Arrest / Ill-treatment of an activist
Kyrgyzstan
15th june 2001
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, an FIDH and OMCT venture, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Kyrgyzstan.
Brief description of the facts :
The Observatory has been informed by the Kyrgyz Committee for Human Rights (KCHR) of new acts of harassment against a KCHR activist in Jalal-Abad.
According to the information received, Adymamat Kadyrbekov, a KCHR member, was stopped by a member of the Governmental Auto Inspection (GAI) in Jalal-Abad, on 12th June 2001, as he was in a taxi heading to a bus station to go home.
As he showed his ID card of KCHR membership, the militiaman reacted offensively and said that “he is sick of all these law defenders”. Then, two militiamen handcuffed him and put him into a car. While they were driving, he was bitten and Kadyrbekov says that he defended himself as he could. He was transferred to the City Department of Internal Affairs and the investigator opened a criminal case against him for “use of violence in resistance to the authority representatives”, according to article 341 of the Criminal Code. He risks up to 5 years imprisonment. Now, Kadyrbekov is free but remains under control of the militia.
The Observatory expresses its deepest concerns about this arrest, recalling that the KCHR members are subjected to permanent acts of harassment in their daily activities.
Actions requested:
Please write to the Kyrgyz authorities demanding that they:
i. drop all the charges against Mr. Kadyrbekov, since they are arbitrary;
ii. put an end to all forms of harassment of human rights defenders and their organisations ;
iii. ensure the implementation of the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 19998, in particular its article 1 which provides that “every person has the right, individually or collectively, to promote the protection and fulfilment of human rights and fundamental liberties at the national and international level.”
iv. guarantee the effective respect of fundamental rights and liberties in accordance with the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the international and regional pacts and covenants ratified by Kyrgyzstan.
Addresses :
The President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Askar Akayev, Kyrgyzskaya Respublika, 720003 g. Bishkek, Prospekt Chuy, 205 Fax: + 996 (312) 218 627 ; E-mail:ghpress2@rhl.bishkek.su
Geneva-Paris, 15th June 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken, quoting the reference number given above.
The Observatory, an FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line
Tel : FIDH : +33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 ;
OMCT : +41 22 809 49 39
E-mail : observatoire@iprolink.ch