Name: The World Organisation Against Torture
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Geneva, February 1st, 2002

Parliamentarian Beknazarov’s arrest sparks mass hunger strikes, demonstrations and arrests of protestors.

The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), the world’s largest network of NGOs fighting against torture, is gravely concerned about the current situation in Kyrgyzstan, where as many as 386 persons had begun hunger strikes by January 31st, 2002, in protest of Kyrgyz Parliamentarian Deputy Azimbek Beknazarov’s arrest and detention by the Kyrgyz authorities.

Deputy Beknazarov was reportedly arrested on January 5th, 2002, and has been charged under two clauses of the Kyrgyz Criminal Code: clause 177(2) – abuse of power; and clause 185(2) – detention of a deliberately innocent person, following allegations that he had mishandled a murder case, which took place in February 1995, when Mr. Beknazarov was an investigator at the office of the Toktogul District Prosecutor. Further background information on this case can be found in OMCT’s Urgent Appeal from January 29th, 2002.

It is, however, believed that Mr. Beknazarov’s arrest is largely politically motivated, and is a result of his recent criticism of the Government, most notably the Kyrgyz-Chinese agreement, under which a section of Kyrgyz territory (some 125,000 hectares) was transferred to China, and more recently, he publicly opposed a similar Kyrgyz land transfer to Kazakhstan.

It is reported that Mr. Japaraly Kamchybekov (who was involved in the murder case in 1995) and his father, Mr. Janatbek Kamchybekov (who is a pensioner), have been arrested and tortured by the Kyrgyz authorities, in order to force them to give false evidence against Deputy Beknazarov. Furthermore, on January 17th, 2002, Mr. Chynybekov Talant, who had been conducting a hunger strike for eight days, was arrested in the street by militia officers and taken to an undisclosed location.

Since his arrest, the number of people who have engaged in protest hunger strikes around the country, has risen to 386 by January 31st, 2002. Sixty-one people continue hunger strikes in Bishkek, nine in the Sokuluk district of the northern Chui Province and 317 people in the Jalal-Abad town and the different villages of the Aksy and Bazar-Korgon districts of the Jalal-Abad Province. The hunger strikes in Bishkek began on January 10th, 2002. Furthermore, a protest picket that began on January 7th, 2002, continues to be held in front of the Prosecutor General’s office in Bishkek. The Kyrgyz authorities have reportedly threatened, arrested and even sentenced protestors to short prison terms, in blatant violation of these persons’ rights to the freedom of assembly and expression.

According to the latest developments, the Southern Jalal-Abad Province Prosecutors submitted their investigation documents concerning Deputy Beknazarov to the Toktogul District Court on January 29th, 2002, and a trial is now expected to take place in a month.

The International Secretariat of OMCT is deeply concerned by the Kyrgyz authorities arrest and detention of Mr. Azimbek Beknazarov, as it appears to be largely politically motivated, and calls on the authorities to order his immediate release in the absence of valid legal charges or, if such charges exist, bring him before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee his procedural rights at all times. Furthermore, OMCT is gravely concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Japaraly Kamchybekov and Mr. Janatbek Kamchybekov, who have both reportedly been tortured, and fears that hunger striker Mr. Chynybekov Talant may also be subjected to torture during his detention. OMCT is also gravely concerned for all the other persons that are engaged in hunger strikes, and condemns the Kyrgyz authorities’ use of arbitrary arrests, detention and harassment of persons connected with or protesting in favour of Mr. Beknazarov.

For more information please call Michael Anthony at the World Organisation Against Torture - 00 41 22 809 49 39.