The Ombudsman of Kyrgyzstan is asking the Special Representative of the European Union for Human Rights to condemn the act of military aggression by Tajikistan against civilians in Kyrgyzstan. Atyr Abdrakhmatova had a telephone conversation with Eamon Gilmore.
The human rights activist informed her colleague that since September 19, employees of the Institute of Ombudsman have visited the affected villages in Batken region and interviewed more than 400 local residents, most of them women with children, who were forced to leave their homes due to the military aggression by Tajikistan.
According to her, more than 60 citizens of Kyrgyzstan, including a 15-year-old girl, died, more than 20 children were among the victims, more than 140,000 civilians were evacuated. The houses of some of them were looted and burned, their livestock was stolen, the harvested crops were taken out or destroyed.
The Ombudsman of the Kyrgyz Republic noted that this is already the fourth border conflict for nine months of 2022, when the civilian population is forced to leave their homes due to various armed provocations by Tajikistan.
More than 15 armed provocations by Tajikistan have been recently registered in various sections of the Kyrgyz-Tajik state border.
Atyr Abdrakhmatova also reminded that on April 21, 2021, as a result of the military aggression by Tajikistan in Batken region, 36 people were killed, including a 12-year-old girl and a 3-year-old boy.
She asks the EU Special Representative to «strongly condemn the act of inhuman, armed aggression of Tajikistan against the civilian population of Batken region and force Tajikistan to stop armed and other provocations against the residents of border villages, give a signal to the aggressor about responsibility for all crimes against the civilian population, strengthen the activities of all human rights organizations to protect life, human rights and freedoms, which is a priority for the entire international community».
Emergency situation has been introduced in Batken region. Shooting began at several sites of the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on the morning of September 16. Settlements in Leilek and Batken district came under fire. The Ministry of Health reported 198 victims, 62 people were killed. As a result of the armed conflict on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border, residents of seven villages in Batken and Leilek districts, as well as Dzhekendi village in Chon-Alai district of Osh region, left their homes.
The Prosecutor General’s Office of Kyrgyzstan opened a criminal case on crimes against peace.
