Azimzhan Askarov’s case. Lawyers intend to appeal verdict of "pocket Themis"

"Today's verdict by the regional court on Azimzhan Askarov's case is a dividing line between the authoritarian power and pocket Themis," the head of Bir Duino human rights center Tolekan Ismailova said to reporters.

According to her, the verdict against Azimzhan Askarov is incompetent and injustice, as originally it was commonly known that the human rights activist was illegally detained and tortured. However, despite all the arguments and the available evidence on the innocence of human rights defender, the court decided to uphold the life imprisonment.

"It is a discriminatory decision on ethnic grounds. Why Askarov should bear responsibility for the crimes that were allowed by the same Kadyrzhan Batyrov? It is a pity that, having gone through two revolutions, we still have an authoritarian government and pocket courts," she concluded. 

The defendant's lawyers are going to appeal the verdict of Chui regional court in the Supreme Court.