Authorities of Kyrgyzstan should release the ailing human rights defender Azimzhan Askarov and quash his conviction after an unfair trial. The international human rights organization Human Rights Watch said in a statement issued before the review of the criminal case of the human rights defender by the country’s Supreme Court, scheduled for February 25.
As noted, the 68-year-old Askarov, who was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to life in prison for his alleged role in the inter-ethnic violence that rocked southern Kyrgyzstan in June 2010, suffers from deteriorating health and inadequate medical attention in prison.
The Supreme Court hearing may be Askarov’s final opportunity to appeal his case, his lawyers say.
The Kyrgyz government should accept a 2016 United Nations Human Rights Committee finding that called for Askarov’s release and quash his case.
«Azimzhan Askarov’s imprisonment is a serious stain on Kyrgyzstan’s human rights record,» said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. «He should be released immediately, given access to needed medical care, and be allowed to reunite with his family after 10 years unjustly spent behind bars.»
«The Kyrgyz government should act urgently to release Askarov and quash his conviction, particularly in light of his deteriorating health and inadequate prison conditions,» Williamson said. «Nearly a decade after his wrongful arrest, the Kyrgyz authorities are long overdue in delivering justice for Askarov and his loved ones.»
