The U.S. Embassy in Kyrgyzstan issued a statement in connection with provocation at yesterday’s rally for resignation of the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and against violence against women.
The statement says that yesterday’s events are cause for deep concern.
«We echo the statement by President Japarov’s spokesperson that opinions should not be expressed in a threatening way, and even more so, should not be accompanied by the use of force,» the statement says.
The threat of mob violence and intimidation tactics against demonstrators exercising their constitutionally guaranteed right to peaceful assembly is unacceptable.
«The United States calls on the Kyrgyz government and law enforcement to protect the free exercise of freedom of speech and peaceful assembly from any party that seeks to restrict these rights. We also note that those responsible for yesterday’s violent intimidation, as well as those who attacked a Women’s Day demonstration last year, have not been held accountable for their actions. We urge the government to investigate and bring these individuals to justice,» the U.S. Embassy says.
American diplomats expressed condolences to the family and friends of the murdered Aizada Kanatbekova and cited as an example the statement of the Deputy Mufti of Kyrgyzstan Kadyr Malikov, in which he stressed that ala kachuu infringes on the freedom, life, honor and dignity of women.
Gender-based violence threatens not only all who live under its oppression, but all of society. Because of gender-based violence, wrongly justified by false tradition, Aizada was unfairly stripped of her future.
We stand in solidarity, here and around the globe, with those who seek to build a future free from gender-based violence.
From statement of the U.S. Embassy in Kyrgyzstan
Protest were organized after murder of Aizada Kanatbekova. She was kidnapped on April 5 for forced marriage.
While participants were gathering for the rally, a crowd of aggressive men approached the building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. They shouted and pushed back those who said that the head of the Interior Ministry should suffer, among other things, moral punishment.
Participants of the peaceful rally were forced to leave for another place in order to prevent the aggressive crowd from provoking an incident. The crowd of unknown persons shouted slogans against the LGBT community and NGOs.
Police officers did not stop the provocateurs and did not interfere with their onslaught, despite the fact that there were many girls and women among the participants of the peaceful protest.
