Kyrgyzstan
07.05.04
Urgent Interventions
Kyrgyzstan: heavy repression of a peaceful demonstration
Open Letter to Mr. Nikolai Tanaev, Prime Minister of Kyrgyz Republic
Paris-Geneva, May 7, 2004
Dear Mr. Nikolai Tanaev,
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), is deeply concerned about the heavy repression of a peaceful demonstration which took place in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on April 15, 2004.
The peaceful march was organised in support of Mr. Felix Kulov, an opposition party (“Ar-Namys”) leader who is serving a seven-year sentence in prison. The participants had planned to walk 40 km, from Bishkek to jail number 19 in Jan-Jer village of Sokuluk where Mr. Kulov is being held.
Early that morning, militiamen began to arrest organisers and participants of the march and took them to Peromaiskyi Rayon Department of Internal Affairs (RDIA). Eighteen people were arrested, including: Aziza Abdirasulova, a member of the Kyrgyz Committee for Human Rights (KCHR), Tursunbek Akunov, a leader in the human rights movement, and Tolekan Ismailova, leader of the Public Union “Civil Society Against Corruption”. All eighteen people were released that same day. Aziza Abdirasulova, Tursunbek Akunov and Tolekan Ismailova were sentenced to pay a fine under article 392 of the Administrative Code (infringements of the established order, organisation and implementation of meetings and street demonstrations). According to the information received, Aziza Abdirasulova was also ill-treated and beaten during her detention.
These events took place on the eve of a summit of heads of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries, due to take place in Choplon-Ata, on April 16, 2004. The authorities were reportedly trying to keep the march out of sight of the summit participants.
Since these events took place, Tursunbek Akunov was again prosecuted for having provided support and legal advise to some demonstrators who were protesting, on April 16, against the “disappearance” of their savings, after the bankruptcy and closure of a company called “Renton Group”. Mr. Akunov was officially charged under article 392 (see above), article 394 (“hooliganism”) and article 371 (“Disobedience to the law order or to the requirement of an employee of law-enforcement bodies”) of the administrative code. He was tried on April 19, before the Pervomay regional Court, and is still awaiting the verdict of the judge. The Observatory considers that the prosecution of Mr. Akunov aims at sanctioning his activities in favour of the promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The Observatory condemns these arrests of peaceful demonstrators and the ill-treatment they were subjected to. The Observatory urges the Kyrgyz authorities to ensure the rights of Tursunbek Akunov to a fair trial so that the charges against him be dropped. More generally, the Observatory urges the Kyrgyz authorities to comply with the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1998, in particular with its article 1 which states, “Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”; its Article 12. 2, which states, “The State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration”, as well as Article 5a, which provides “[f]or the purpose of promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, at the national and international levels (…) [t]o meet or assemble peacefully”. More generally, the Observatory urges the Kyrgyz authorities to comply with international human rights standards included in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and other international law instruments ratified by Kyrgyzstan. In the hope you will take these considerations and requests into account,
We remain,
Eric SOTTAS
Director of OMCT
Sidiki KABA
President of FIDH
Paris-Geneva, May 7, 2004
Dear Mr. Nikolai Tanaev,
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), is deeply concerned about the heavy repression of a peaceful demonstration which took place in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on April 15, 2004.
The peaceful march was organised in support of Mr. Felix Kulov, an opposition party (“Ar-Namys”) leader who is serving a seven-year sentence in prison. The participants had planned to walk 40 km, from Bishkek to jail number 19 in Jan-Jer village of Sokuluk where Mr. Kulov is being held.
Early that morning, militiamen began to arrest organisers and participants of the march and took them to Peromaiskyi Rayon Department of Internal Affairs (RDIA). Eighteen people were arrested, including: Aziza Abdirasulova, a member of the Kyrgyz Committee for Human Rights (KCHR), Tursunbek Akunov, a leader in the human rights movement, and Tolekan Ismailova, leader of the Public Union “Civil Society Against Corruption”. All eighteen people were released that same day. Aziza Abdirasulova, Tursunbek Akunov and Tolekan Ismailova were sentenced to pay a fine under article 392 of the Administrative Code (infringements of the established order, organisation and implementation of meetings and street demonstrations). According to the information received, Aziza Abdirasulova was also ill-treated and beaten during her detention.
These events took place on the eve of a summit of heads of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries, due to take place in Choplon-Ata, on April 16, 2004. The authorities were reportedly trying to keep the march out of sight of the summit participants.
Since these events took place, Tursunbek Akunov was again prosecuted for having provided support and legal advise to some demonstrators who were protesting, on April 16, against the “disappearance” of their savings, after the bankruptcy and closure of a company called “Renton Group”. Mr. Akunov was officially charged under article 392 (see above), article 394 (“hooliganism”) and article 371 (“Disobedience to the law order or to the requirement of an employee of law-enforcement bodies”) of the administrative code. He was tried on April 19, before the Pervomay regional Court, and is still awaiting the verdict of the judge. The Observatory considers that the prosecution of Mr. Akunov aims at sanctioning his activities in favour of the promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The Observatory condemns these arrests of peaceful demonstrators and the ill-treatment they were subjected to. The Observatory urges the Kyrgyz authorities to ensure the rights of Tursunbek Akunov to a fair trial so that the charges against him be dropped. More generally, the Observatory urges the Kyrgyz authorities to comply with the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1998, in particular with its article 1 which states, “Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”; its Article 12. 2, which states, “The State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration”, as well as Article 5a, which provides “[f]or the purpose of promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, at the national and international levels (…) [t]o meet or assemble peacefully”. More generally, the Observatory urges the Kyrgyz authorities to comply with international human rights standards included in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and other international law instruments ratified by Kyrgyzstan. In the hope you will take these considerations and requests into account,
We remain,
Eric SOTTAS
Director of OMCT
Sidiki KABA
President of FIDH