Kyrgyzstan
24.06.03
Urgent Interventions
Kyrgyzstan: repression of members of the Hizb-ut-Tahrir party
Open Letter to Mr Askar Akayev, President of the Kyrgyz Republic
Mr Askar Akayev,
President of the Kyrgyz Republic,
Kyrgyzskaya Respublika,
720003 g. Bishkek,
Prospekt Chuy, 205,
Kyrgyzstan
Geneva, June 24th, 2003
Your Excellency,
The International Secretariat of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), the world’s largest network of NGO’s fighting against torture, has been informed by the Kyrgyz Committee for Human Rights, a member of the SOS-Torture network, of the gravely troubling situation of Hizb-Ut-Tahrir members in Kyrgyzstan. Members of Hizb-Ut-Tahrir are being targeted for their religious and political beliefs, subjected to harassment, arbitrary arrest and detention, ill-treatment, and potentially torture.
According to the information received, Yakubjan and Akmedjan Haldarov, two brothers, were recently indicted under article 299 “Crime and Punishment” and were sentenced to three-year prison sentences each by the Bazar-Korgon regional court. Human rights activist Azimjan Askarov, who participated in the closed-court proceedings, stated that the two men did not admit guilt, and there was insufficient evidence to convict them. Despite these circumstances, Yakubjan was sentenced to three years in a high security facility “For calling people not to vote in March for akims, since they were not elected according to the Islamic Law; for calling to establish an Islamic country; and for opposing the war of US in Iraq”. Akmedjan will be serving three years in a medium security facility.
Recently, 20-year-old Tahirdin Ishembaev from the Bazar-Korgon region was imprisoned by the Jalal-Abad city court under similar charges. Five members of the Hizb-Ut-Tahrir party remain in the Investigation Isolation Centre, accused of distributing ideological leaflets.
These incidents are part of the wider repression of the Hizb-ut-Tahrir party, which has increased since the beginning of 2003, notably in the period prior to and during the conflict in Iraq. On January 2nd, 2003, Toktorbay Tohtakulov, a member of the banned Hizb-Ut-Tahrir Islamist Party, was sentenced to two and half years in prison on reportedly false weapons charges. In March 2003, Aibek Satarov, and Muhamadulla Madalijinat, both Hizb-Ut-Tahrir members, and their relatives Ergeshov Bahtiyar and Bahadyr from Bazarkorgon district, were detained for keeping leaflets concerning the group. Sultan Tashtemirov, Akjol Karagulov and Kazakhstani citizen Erlan Bektemirov, all members of Hizb-Ut-Tahrir were arrested at the end of March 2003 and detained incommunicado. In April 2003, 13 members of Hizb-ut-Tahrir were arrested for distributing leaflets opposing the war in Iraq. They were held incommunicado, a form of detention associated with a heightened risk of torture. On May 23, 2003, 45-years-old Hasanbaev Salijan was arrested by members of Osh oblast Department of the Interior at Kara-Suuy market. He was reportedly carrying twenty leaflets related to the banned Kyrgyzstan Hizb-ut-Tahrir party.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned by the apparent targeting of Hizb-Ut-Tahrir party members, a party which, according to our sources, is a non-violent organisation. Although OMCT does not associate itself in any way with the political or religious position of the Hizb-ut-Tahrir, it condemns the repression, which is often violent in nature, to which the party is being subjected. The arbitrary arrest and detention, the sentencing to disproportionate prison sentences, and the ill-treatment and torture to which the members of this group are reportedly actually or at risk of being subjected are violations of international law. OMCT has previously received allegations that members of the Hizb-ut-Tahrir run grave risks of being subjected to severe ill-treatment and torture while in detention, with a number of them having died in detention both in Kyrgyzstan and neighbouring Uzbekistan, where the group is also active. The Kyrgyz authorities claim that Hizbut-Tahrir often use crowded areas such as trading lines, markets and places of rest for distributing their material (leaflets, etc). Secular authority, law enforcement bodies, and the leadership in neighbouring Uzbekistan are reportedly the targets of the content of these leaflets.
OMCT calls on the Kyrgyz government to end its harassment and repression of Hizb-ut-Tahrir party members, to release all the detained party members in the absence of valid legal charges that are in line with international law, or if such charges exist to ensure that the detainees receive prompt and fair trials, and to guarantee their physical and psychological integrity at all times.
Thank you for the careful consideration that you will give these matters.
Yours sincerely,
Eric Sottas
Director
Mr Askar Akayev,
President of the Kyrgyz Republic,
Kyrgyzskaya Respublika,
720003 g. Bishkek,
Prospekt Chuy, 205,
Kyrgyzstan
Geneva, June 24th, 2003
Your Excellency,
The International Secretariat of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), the world’s largest network of NGO’s fighting against torture, has been informed by the Kyrgyz Committee for Human Rights, a member of the SOS-Torture network, of the gravely troubling situation of Hizb-Ut-Tahrir members in Kyrgyzstan. Members of Hizb-Ut-Tahrir are being targeted for their religious and political beliefs, subjected to harassment, arbitrary arrest and detention, ill-treatment, and potentially torture.
According to the information received, Yakubjan and Akmedjan Haldarov, two brothers, were recently indicted under article 299 “Crime and Punishment” and were sentenced to three-year prison sentences each by the Bazar-Korgon regional court. Human rights activist Azimjan Askarov, who participated in the closed-court proceedings, stated that the two men did not admit guilt, and there was insufficient evidence to convict them. Despite these circumstances, Yakubjan was sentenced to three years in a high security facility “For calling people not to vote in March for akims, since they were not elected according to the Islamic Law; for calling to establish an Islamic country; and for opposing the war of US in Iraq”. Akmedjan will be serving three years in a medium security facility.
Recently, 20-year-old Tahirdin Ishembaev from the Bazar-Korgon region was imprisoned by the Jalal-Abad city court under similar charges. Five members of the Hizb-Ut-Tahrir party remain in the Investigation Isolation Centre, accused of distributing ideological leaflets.
These incidents are part of the wider repression of the Hizb-ut-Tahrir party, which has increased since the beginning of 2003, notably in the period prior to and during the conflict in Iraq. On January 2nd, 2003, Toktorbay Tohtakulov, a member of the banned Hizb-Ut-Tahrir Islamist Party, was sentenced to two and half years in prison on reportedly false weapons charges. In March 2003, Aibek Satarov, and Muhamadulla Madalijinat, both Hizb-Ut-Tahrir members, and their relatives Ergeshov Bahtiyar and Bahadyr from Bazarkorgon district, were detained for keeping leaflets concerning the group. Sultan Tashtemirov, Akjol Karagulov and Kazakhstani citizen Erlan Bektemirov, all members of Hizb-Ut-Tahrir were arrested at the end of March 2003 and detained incommunicado. In April 2003, 13 members of Hizb-ut-Tahrir were arrested for distributing leaflets opposing the war in Iraq. They were held incommunicado, a form of detention associated with a heightened risk of torture. On May 23, 2003, 45-years-old Hasanbaev Salijan was arrested by members of Osh oblast Department of the Interior at Kara-Suuy market. He was reportedly carrying twenty leaflets related to the banned Kyrgyzstan Hizb-ut-Tahrir party.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned by the apparent targeting of Hizb-Ut-Tahrir party members, a party which, according to our sources, is a non-violent organisation. Although OMCT does not associate itself in any way with the political or religious position of the Hizb-ut-Tahrir, it condemns the repression, which is often violent in nature, to which the party is being subjected. The arbitrary arrest and detention, the sentencing to disproportionate prison sentences, and the ill-treatment and torture to which the members of this group are reportedly actually or at risk of being subjected are violations of international law. OMCT has previously received allegations that members of the Hizb-ut-Tahrir run grave risks of being subjected to severe ill-treatment and torture while in detention, with a number of them having died in detention both in Kyrgyzstan and neighbouring Uzbekistan, where the group is also active. The Kyrgyz authorities claim that Hizbut-Tahrir often use crowded areas such as trading lines, markets and places of rest for distributing their material (leaflets, etc). Secular authority, law enforcement bodies, and the leadership in neighbouring Uzbekistan are reportedly the targets of the content of these leaflets.
OMCT calls on the Kyrgyz government to end its harassment and repression of Hizb-ut-Tahrir party members, to release all the detained party members in the absence of valid legal charges that are in line with international law, or if such charges exist to ensure that the detainees receive prompt and fair trials, and to guarantee their physical and psychological integrity at all times.
Thank you for the careful consideration that you will give these matters.
Yours sincerely,
Eric Sottas
Director