The Bishkek City Court considered a preventive measure against a blogger Atai Beishenbek.
Lawyer Timur Sultanov said that, in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Code, detention is applied by the court if it is impossible to apply a milder measure of restraint.
Atai Beishenbek himself said that he did not understand why he was taken into custody. He repeated that he was not a member of the committee for the protection of Kempir-Abad reservoir. In addition, according to the blogger, not a single investigative action was carried out with him.
«I can answer for every word I write. I am not a member of the committee, I did not call for any mass riots, nor for the seizure of power,» said Atai Beishenbek.
Leaving the deliberation room, the judicial board upheld the decision of the previous instance. Thus, Atai Beishenbek will be kept in custody in Bishkek until December 20.
The Committee for protection of Kempir-Abad reservoir was created on October 22. It includes activists, politicians and MPs. On the same day, in an interview with Kabar news agency, President Sadyr Japarov said: the authorities have information who was behind the rallies and marches on Kempir-Abad issue.
Mass arrests began on October 23. Authorities placed 26 people in jail on charges of preparing for riots.
A number of international human rights organizations such as the International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR), the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT), the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC), the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFHR), Freedom Now and others issued a statement calling for the immediate release of politicians and activists arrested in Kyrgyzstan.
