Kyrgyzstan
23.05.03
Urgent Interventions
Kyrgyzstan: Aksy tragedy relatives begin hunger strike
Case KGZ 290102.15
Follow-up of Case KGZ 290102
Arbitrary arrest / Hunger Strike / Violation of personal integrity
Geneva, May 23rd, 2003
The International Secretariat of OMCT has received new information regarding the following situation in Kyrgyzstan.
New information
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Kyrgyz Committee for Human Rights, a member of the OMCT network, of the arbitrary arrest and physical assaults on relatives of the victims of the Aksy demonstration. Twenty women who are members of this group reportedly began hunger strikes on May 17th, 2003.
According to the information received, on May 16th, 2003, relatives of the victims that were killed and injured at the March 2002 demonstration in Aksy arrived in Bishkek seeking a meeting with President Askar Akaev. They were reportedly demanding that the perpetrators of the crimes in Aksy be brought to justice, that the contents of criminal cases against six policemen be made public, and that the harassment of the victims' relative cease. The women were arrested and detained for 21 hours. Three of the women, Nurbubu Urkunbaeva, Suyun Atakanova, and Meilikan Toktobolotova were beaten during the detention and were brought to the hospital with numerous injuries. The hospital, however, refused to admit Ms. Toktobolotova and Ms. Atakanova due to pressure from the authorities and the women had to be treated by KCHR doctors. When members of parliament demanded an explanation for these arbitrary arrests, the Department Press Secretary Zholdoshbek Buzumankulov claimed that the Aksy residents had not, in fact, been arrested, but had been brought to the Pervomayskiy police departemnt in order to determine their identies. Mr. Buzumankulov reportedly claimed that there was a link between the arrival of these women and recent attacks on police stations in Dzhalal Abad. Klara Azhibekova, the leader of the Communist Party of Kyrgyzstan, and one of the women participating in the protest denied these allegations. She claims that the participants had alerted the authorities of their intention to protest peacefully. Ms. Azhibekova reported that the women gathered in front of the Supreme Council building and behaved peacefully, but that the militia arrived quickly, treated the participants roughly, and brought them to the police department. That same day, Ms. Azhibekova; human rights defender, Tursunbek Akunov; leader of the Human Rights Movement of Kyrgyzstan, Topchubek Turgunaliev; the director of the Human Rights Institute, Aleksandr Fomenko; and human rights defender and member of KCHR, J. Kulova were arrested and forced to pay a fine.
According to the same sources, on May 17th, following the arrests and detention of the day before, 20 women, mothers and sisters of the victims began a hunger strike. Dilbar Momukulova, the leader of the Movement of Aksy Mothers, reported that the group had written a letter appealing to the Head of State, the Head of Meerim International Chariy Fund, Mairam Akaeva, and the Ombudsman of the Kryrgyz Republic, Tursunbai Bakir uulu, outlining the demands listed above. The women are at the apartment of opposition deputy Azimbek Beknazarov (see earlier appeals) who reports that neither government representatives nor any doctor has come to see the hunger strikers. Mr. Beknazarov has also reported that the women are strong and plan to continue their strike until the government meets their demands. The police are presently surrounding the building where the women are staying and will reportedly attempt to force them to return to Aksy.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of the hunger strikes. OMCT is troubled by the arbitrary arrests, detention and beatings that have occurred in relation with people who are seeking remedy following the violent repression by the authorities of the Aksy demonstrations and calls on the Kyrgyz government to immediately end the harassment of relatives of the victims of these events. OMCT calls on the Kyrgyz government to ensure that there is an immediate, thorough, and impartial investigation into these most recent arrests and allegations of severe beatings, as well as into the events of March 17, 2002, in order to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice and that the victims and/or their relatives receive appropriate reparation.
Brief reminder of the situation
According to the information received, on March 17th, 2002, a peaceful demonstration demanding the release of Mr. Beknasarov’s, a Parliamentarian who was being detained and tortured, ended in bloodshed when the Kyrgyz special police forces (OMON), indiscriminately opened fire on the assembled crowd. The marchers were on their way to Kerben when District Prosecutor Abdykalyk Kaldarov, District Administration head Shermamat Osmonov and the head of the District Police Department, accompanied by a number of policemen, blocked their route in the proximity of Boz-Piek, at around 4p.m. The police reportedly began beating women that were participating in the demonstration, and when Tursunbek Akunov, the Chairman of the Human Rights Movement of Kyrgyzstan, was arrested, the demonstrators demanded that he be released. At this point Mr. Kaldarov reportedly gave the order to open fire upon the crowd. Several persons were wounded and five have reportedly died as a result, with at least two persons having received direct shots to the head. Those killed include Sovetbek Tagayev, Kadyrkul Saparaliyev, Begaly Chetinbayev, Urkumbaev Satynay, and a woman whose identity is currently unknown. At least 12 persons suffered serious bullet wounds. The Minister of Internal Affairs has reportedly stated that the police was obliged to resort to live ammunition, due to a lack of rubber bullets and tear gas. None of the perpetrators of these acts have as yet been brought to justice, having in fact received an amnesty from the President.
Action requested :
Please write to the authorities in Kyrgyzstan urging them to:
i. order a thorough and impartial investigation into these events, including both these most recent arrests and beatings as well as the events of March 17th, 2002, in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
ii. guarantee adequate reparation to all injured persons and the families of the deceased;
iii. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses :
· Mr Askar Akayev, President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Kyrgyzskaya Respublika, 720003 g. Bishkek, Prospekt Chuy, 205, Fax: 996 312 218 627, Email: ghpress2@rhl.bishkek.su
· Mr. Nikolai Tanaev, Prime Minister, Fax: 996 312 218 627
· Mr. Bakirdin Subanbekov, Minister of the Interior, Fax: 996 312 663 031, 996 312 288 788
· Mr. Kurmanbek Osmonov, Minister of Justice, Fax: 996 312 663 044
Please also write to the embassies of Kyrgyzstan in your respective country.
Geneva, May 23rd, 2003
Follow-up of Case KGZ 290102
Arbitrary arrest / Hunger Strike / Violation of personal integrity
Geneva, May 23rd, 2003
The International Secretariat of OMCT has received new information regarding the following situation in Kyrgyzstan.
New information
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Kyrgyz Committee for Human Rights, a member of the OMCT network, of the arbitrary arrest and physical assaults on relatives of the victims of the Aksy demonstration. Twenty women who are members of this group reportedly began hunger strikes on May 17th, 2003.
According to the information received, on May 16th, 2003, relatives of the victims that were killed and injured at the March 2002 demonstration in Aksy arrived in Bishkek seeking a meeting with President Askar Akaev. They were reportedly demanding that the perpetrators of the crimes in Aksy be brought to justice, that the contents of criminal cases against six policemen be made public, and that the harassment of the victims' relative cease. The women were arrested and detained for 21 hours. Three of the women, Nurbubu Urkunbaeva, Suyun Atakanova, and Meilikan Toktobolotova were beaten during the detention and were brought to the hospital with numerous injuries. The hospital, however, refused to admit Ms. Toktobolotova and Ms. Atakanova due to pressure from the authorities and the women had to be treated by KCHR doctors. When members of parliament demanded an explanation for these arbitrary arrests, the Department Press Secretary Zholdoshbek Buzumankulov claimed that the Aksy residents had not, in fact, been arrested, but had been brought to the Pervomayskiy police departemnt in order to determine their identies. Mr. Buzumankulov reportedly claimed that there was a link between the arrival of these women and recent attacks on police stations in Dzhalal Abad. Klara Azhibekova, the leader of the Communist Party of Kyrgyzstan, and one of the women participating in the protest denied these allegations. She claims that the participants had alerted the authorities of their intention to protest peacefully. Ms. Azhibekova reported that the women gathered in front of the Supreme Council building and behaved peacefully, but that the militia arrived quickly, treated the participants roughly, and brought them to the police department. That same day, Ms. Azhibekova; human rights defender, Tursunbek Akunov; leader of the Human Rights Movement of Kyrgyzstan, Topchubek Turgunaliev; the director of the Human Rights Institute, Aleksandr Fomenko; and human rights defender and member of KCHR, J. Kulova were arrested and forced to pay a fine.
According to the same sources, on May 17th, following the arrests and detention of the day before, 20 women, mothers and sisters of the victims began a hunger strike. Dilbar Momukulova, the leader of the Movement of Aksy Mothers, reported that the group had written a letter appealing to the Head of State, the Head of Meerim International Chariy Fund, Mairam Akaeva, and the Ombudsman of the Kryrgyz Republic, Tursunbai Bakir uulu, outlining the demands listed above. The women are at the apartment of opposition deputy Azimbek Beknazarov (see earlier appeals) who reports that neither government representatives nor any doctor has come to see the hunger strikers. Mr. Beknazarov has also reported that the women are strong and plan to continue their strike until the government meets their demands. The police are presently surrounding the building where the women are staying and will reportedly attempt to force them to return to Aksy.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of the hunger strikes. OMCT is troubled by the arbitrary arrests, detention and beatings that have occurred in relation with people who are seeking remedy following the violent repression by the authorities of the Aksy demonstrations and calls on the Kyrgyz government to immediately end the harassment of relatives of the victims of these events. OMCT calls on the Kyrgyz government to ensure that there is an immediate, thorough, and impartial investigation into these most recent arrests and allegations of severe beatings, as well as into the events of March 17, 2002, in order to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice and that the victims and/or their relatives receive appropriate reparation.
Brief reminder of the situation
According to the information received, on March 17th, 2002, a peaceful demonstration demanding the release of Mr. Beknasarov’s, a Parliamentarian who was being detained and tortured, ended in bloodshed when the Kyrgyz special police forces (OMON), indiscriminately opened fire on the assembled crowd. The marchers were on their way to Kerben when District Prosecutor Abdykalyk Kaldarov, District Administration head Shermamat Osmonov and the head of the District Police Department, accompanied by a number of policemen, blocked their route in the proximity of Boz-Piek, at around 4p.m. The police reportedly began beating women that were participating in the demonstration, and when Tursunbek Akunov, the Chairman of the Human Rights Movement of Kyrgyzstan, was arrested, the demonstrators demanded that he be released. At this point Mr. Kaldarov reportedly gave the order to open fire upon the crowd. Several persons were wounded and five have reportedly died as a result, with at least two persons having received direct shots to the head. Those killed include Sovetbek Tagayev, Kadyrkul Saparaliyev, Begaly Chetinbayev, Urkumbaev Satynay, and a woman whose identity is currently unknown. At least 12 persons suffered serious bullet wounds. The Minister of Internal Affairs has reportedly stated that the police was obliged to resort to live ammunition, due to a lack of rubber bullets and tear gas. None of the perpetrators of these acts have as yet been brought to justice, having in fact received an amnesty from the President.
Action requested :
Please write to the authorities in Kyrgyzstan urging them to:
i. order a thorough and impartial investigation into these events, including both these most recent arrests and beatings as well as the events of March 17th, 2002, in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
ii. guarantee adequate reparation to all injured persons and the families of the deceased;
iii. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses :
· Mr Askar Akayev, President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Kyrgyzskaya Respublika, 720003 g. Bishkek, Prospekt Chuy, 205, Fax: 996 312 218 627, Email: ghpress2@rhl.bishkek.su
· Mr. Nikolai Tanaev, Prime Minister, Fax: 996 312 218 627
· Mr. Bakirdin Subanbekov, Minister of the Interior, Fax: 996 312 663 031, 996 312 288 788
· Mr. Kurmanbek Osmonov, Minister of Justice, Fax: 996 312 663 044
Please also write to the embassies of Kyrgyzstan in your respective country.
Geneva, May 23rd, 2003