President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov reacted to the murder of Aizada Kanatbekova. He wrote a post on his Facebook page.
According to the head of state, he took the news of abduction and death of Aizada Kanatbekova with large bitterness. He believes that from now on there should not be cases when a girl is forced into marriage.
«What happened to Aizada is a tragedy and pain not only for her family, but for our entire state. Bride kidnapping, forced holding of girls, and marriage against one’s will invariably lead to tragedy. It is always so. Unfortunately, despite toughened penalties for bride kidnapping, abduction and forced marriage are still practiced by young people. Several years ago, the same tragedy happened to Burulai, whom an adult man tried to kidnap in order to marry. The name Burulai has become a household name for Kyrgyzstanis. And, despite the fact that the criminal was convicted for his act, Burulai forever left her family and this world. There shouldn’t be such cases,» Sadyr Japarov noted.
He stressed that kidnapping and forced marriage against will should be strictly punished according to the law and there should be no forgiveness for those who assist in these crimes.
I would like to especially mention the work of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Law and order in our society should be paramount. No one should forget this. The tragic incident with Aizada Kanatbekova, whom the kidnapper murdered so cruelly, should be the last in the bride kidnapping history.
Sadyr Japarov
The head of state added that this should not be permissible in modern society and everyone should be punished for such criminal acts.
«I take the case of Aizada Kanatbekova under my personal control. This case must be brought to an end; punishment will be inevitable. I urge all citizens of Kyrgyzstan not to remain indifferent, if they see attempts to kidnap brides. The life and freedom of everyone is above all in Kyrgyzstan. I express my deep condolences to the family of Aizada Kanatbekova. Be strong ... Those involved in the tragedy will be punished to the fullest extent of the law,» Sadyr Japarov promised.
Answering a question from 24.kg news agency regarding resignation of senior officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the spokesperson for the president Galina Baiterek noted that " all the guilty should be punished first."
Aizada Kanatbekova, 26, was abducted on April 5. Footage of the incident was posted on social media. Two days later, she and her abductor were found dead. This story shocked the Kyrgyzstanis. They are outraged that the Ministry of Internal Affairs did not draw any conclusions from the tragedy of Burulai.
The 19-year-old Burulai Turdalieva was killed at Zhayil District Department of Internal Affairs on May 27, 2018. Mars Bodoshev, who abducted the girl in order to force her into marriage, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Police officers, who allowed murder of the girl, are also defendants in the case.
The head of the Central Internal Affairs Department of Bishkek Bakyt Matmusaev asked the relatives and friends of the deceased Aizada Kanatbekova for forgiveness today at a press conference. According to him, the police did not stop searching for the girl for three days.
The case also caused concern in the Parliament. Deputy Aisuluu Mamashova said that people in Kyrgyzstan have ceased to live according to the norms of law and morality. She admitted that, being a deputy, she does not feel safe as a woman outside the Parliament.
