Police officers detain participants of march in Bishkek

A march in support of activists and politicians held in custody on charges of organizing mass riots ended with the detention of its participants.

The people, who gathered at the building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, planned to march to the Government House. On the way, the police forced them to remove the banners. Before reaching the Old Square, the march participants were detained, put into a police bus and taken to the Internal Affairs Department of Pervomaisky district.

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.