Inmates of prisons and pretrial detention centers in Kyrgyzstan announced the start of a hunger strike in protest against the new head of the Penitentiary Service on December 22 at night. Relatives of prisoners told 24.kg news agency.
According to them, the reason for the protests was the appointment of Chyngyz Kozhoshev as head of the State Penitentiary Service.
«All prisoners went on the hunger strike against Chyngyz Kozhoshev. On his orders, special forces beat us, and he himself is also taking part in this. Under the former head, Askat Egemberdiev, we lived peacefully, everything was within the law. He says during the beatings that we are slaves and have no rights. He also claims that the Ombudsman and the special prosecutor’s office are under his control, and no one will help us. Our loved ones are also detained. The following individuals were reportedly severely beaten and are being held in the basement of the pretrial detention center No. 1: Adilet Kasenov, Kadyr Dsonov, Erkin Zhumashov, Almaz Dooron, Emil Aidar, Daniyar Shukurov,» the relatives claim.
The press service of the Penitentiary Service denied the information about the beating of the detainees, stating that «all penitentiary institutions have been operating as usual».
