Bolot Temirov's case to be considered by UN Human Rights Committee

Lawyers of the investigative journalist Bolot Temirov have filed a complaint with the UN to have his case considered by the Human Rights Committee. The journalist himself posted on social media.

According to him, the document contains 47 pages and more than 100 points of evidence of violations. The complaint covers a number of violations, including the right to a fair trial, the right to citizenship, protection from arbitrary detention, and freedom of expression.

Recall, the investigative journalist Bolot Temirov was detained on January 22, 2022, within a case on illegal production and storage of drugs. In September of the same year, judge Akylbek Adimov of the Sverdlovsky District Court of Bishkek issued a verdict in this case. The court acquitted the journalist on the drug possession count, finding the evidence of guilt not obvious and the investigation biased, as well as on the illegal border crossing count, finding no elements of a crime in his actions, since Bolot Temirov used a real, not a fake, passport.

The journalist was found guilty on two counts — for using false information when obtaining a passport. He was charged with illegal use of a military ID to obtain an ID card (internal passport of a citizen of the Kyrgyz Republic) and illegal obtaining of the identity card. However, due to the expiration of the statute of limitations, the court did not apply punishment to him. Bolot Temirov was released from the courtroom.