Kempir-Abad case: Lawyers of defendants appeal to UN Committee

Lawyers of the defendants in the so-called Kempir-Abad case, held in Bishkek pre-trial detention center 1, have appealed to the UN Human Rights Committee, the Office of the UN High Commissioner, HRW, Amnesty International, the National Center for the Prevention of Torture, other human rights organizations and the media. Lawyer Erkin Sadanbekov told 24.kg news agency.

According to him, Ravshan Dzheenbekov, Zhenish Moldokmatov, Kubanychbek Kadyrov and Azimbek Beknazarov are kept in the basement of the detention center, which can be regarded as torture, since there are inadequate conditions in the cells — they are damp, moldy and very cold. The lawyers request to transfer the defendants to the cells on the upper floors of the detention center.

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 27 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.