Kyrgyzstan
04.10.02
Urgent Interventions
Kyrgyzstan: arrest, detention and risk of torture of 5 Hizb-ut-Tahir members
Case KGZ 041002
Incommunicado detention / Ill-treatment / Risk of torture
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Kyrgyzstan.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by a Kyrgyz Committee for Human Rights (KCHR), a member of the OMCT network, of the arrest and risk of torture of five Hizb-ut-Tahir activists in Kyrgyzstan.
According to the information received, at least five activists from the radical Islamic party known as Hizb-ut-Tahir were arrested on September 26th, 2002, during a special operation launched by officers from the Suzak District Department of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Kyrgyzstan. The known persons' identities and the places where they were arrested are as follows: Mr. Abdurahmanov and Mr. Moldosmanov K. in the village of Suzak, Mr. Nadjiev N. in the village of Jyide, Mr. Addukaharov in the village of Bek-Abad, and Mr. Kadyrov A. in the village of Dostuk in Nooken district.
According to the information received, the authorities found a list with the names of heads at the President’s Administration in Kyrgyzstan, Ministers, heads of judicial and law enforcement agencies, as well as a map of Islamic countries, a chart of the Hizb-ut-Tahrir party, 35 copies of a magazine called Vai Al’ong, 74 leaflets, 26 books of Hizbut texts, 24 video tapes containing “extremist stories”, 7 dictaphones and 1 camera at Mr. Abdurahmanov’s house in the village of Suzak. The other detainees were reportedly arrested for similar reasons.
According to the information received, Hizb-ut-Tahrir is an outlawed religious organisation, which aims to establish an Islamic caliphate in the region. Our sources indicate that it is a non-violent organization, which attracts members by handing out leaflets. Despite this, the authorities of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan reportedly present it as a dangerous religious extremist organization and persecute its members. The authorities often claim to have found weapons that allegedly belong to Hizb-ut-Tahrir members. However, concrete evidence concerning these weapons and their link to their alleged owners is never presented. Even some members of the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan reportedly believe that the organization is being illegally persecuted.
According to the information received, the five Hizb-ut-Tahrir members were arrested in Suzak and Nooken districts of Jalal-Abad during this operation and they are still being detained. It is hard to obtain more information concerning their conditions of detention, as they are usually not able to have legal representation, and even when they do, their lawyers do not release any information about them, most likely due to pressure from the authorities.
According to the information received, there is a very high risk that these persons are being subjected to torture. Previous reports indicate that members of the Hizb-ut-Tahir are practically systematically subjected to ill-treatment and torture while in detention. The detainees are kept in overcrowded prisons (official Government information agency Kabar stated on September 30th 2002, that there are 375 people in the probationary prison centre in Jalal-Abad region, which has a capacity of 284). Furthermore, the detainees have an unacceptably high chance of catching tuberculoses, due to the poor detention conditions, and unconfirmed reports have even indicated that members of the Hizb-ut-Tahir are purposefully placed in cells with people infected with the disease. So far during 2002, 177 detainees have reportedly been infected with tuberculoses and 6 of them have died in Kyrgyzstan.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned for the physical and psycholigical integrity of Messrs. Abdurahmanov, Moldosmanov K., Nadjiev N., Addukaharov, Kadyrov A., given that they are being detained incommunicado and the reported grave risk of them being subjected to ill-treatment and torture. More generally, OMCT condemns the Kyrgyz authorities' persecution of the members of this reportedly non-violent organisation, in violation of the rights to the freedom of opinion, association and religious belief, and the conditions under which its members are being arrested and detained.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Kyrgyzstan urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Messrs. Abdurahmanov, Moldosmanov K., Nadjiev N., Addukaharov, Kadyrov A. and all other Hizb-ut-Tahir detainees;
ii. order their immediate release in the absence of valid legal charges or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
iii. intervene with the appropriate authorities in order to secure that the adequate medical assistance is provided as a matter of urgency to any and all ill prisoners;
iv. intervene with the appropriate authorities in order to secure that the detainees be allowed to meet with their relatives and lawyers;
v. guarantee an immediate investigation into the reported conditions of detention and use of torture, identify those responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial tribunal and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;
vi. put an immediate end to the persecution and harassment of the Hizb-ut-Tahir;
vii. 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/ 218 627, Email: ghpress2@rhl.bishkek.su
· Mr. Nikolai Tanaev, Prime Minister; fax: 996 312 661 382, mailto:pmoffice@mail.gov.kg
· Mr. Daniyar Narymbaev, Minister of Justice, Kyrgyzskaya Respublika, 720040, g. Bishkek, ul. Orozbekova, 37; mailto:minjust@bishkek.gov.kg
Please also write to the embassies of Kyrgyzstan in your respective country.
Geneva, October 4th, 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Incommunicado detention / Ill-treatment / Risk of torture
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Kyrgyzstan.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by a Kyrgyz Committee for Human Rights (KCHR), a member of the OMCT network, of the arrest and risk of torture of five Hizb-ut-Tahir activists in Kyrgyzstan.
According to the information received, at least five activists from the radical Islamic party known as Hizb-ut-Tahir were arrested on September 26th, 2002, during a special operation launched by officers from the Suzak District Department of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Kyrgyzstan. The known persons' identities and the places where they were arrested are as follows: Mr. Abdurahmanov and Mr. Moldosmanov K. in the village of Suzak, Mr. Nadjiev N. in the village of Jyide, Mr. Addukaharov in the village of Bek-Abad, and Mr. Kadyrov A. in the village of Dostuk in Nooken district.
According to the information received, the authorities found a list with the names of heads at the President’s Administration in Kyrgyzstan, Ministers, heads of judicial and law enforcement agencies, as well as a map of Islamic countries, a chart of the Hizb-ut-Tahrir party, 35 copies of a magazine called Vai Al’ong, 74 leaflets, 26 books of Hizbut texts, 24 video tapes containing “extremist stories”, 7 dictaphones and 1 camera at Mr. Abdurahmanov’s house in the village of Suzak. The other detainees were reportedly arrested for similar reasons.
According to the information received, Hizb-ut-Tahrir is an outlawed religious organisation, which aims to establish an Islamic caliphate in the region. Our sources indicate that it is a non-violent organization, which attracts members by handing out leaflets. Despite this, the authorities of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan reportedly present it as a dangerous religious extremist organization and persecute its members. The authorities often claim to have found weapons that allegedly belong to Hizb-ut-Tahrir members. However, concrete evidence concerning these weapons and their link to their alleged owners is never presented. Even some members of the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan reportedly believe that the organization is being illegally persecuted.
According to the information received, the five Hizb-ut-Tahrir members were arrested in Suzak and Nooken districts of Jalal-Abad during this operation and they are still being detained. It is hard to obtain more information concerning their conditions of detention, as they are usually not able to have legal representation, and even when they do, their lawyers do not release any information about them, most likely due to pressure from the authorities.
According to the information received, there is a very high risk that these persons are being subjected to torture. Previous reports indicate that members of the Hizb-ut-Tahir are practically systematically subjected to ill-treatment and torture while in detention. The detainees are kept in overcrowded prisons (official Government information agency Kabar stated on September 30th 2002, that there are 375 people in the probationary prison centre in Jalal-Abad region, which has a capacity of 284). Furthermore, the detainees have an unacceptably high chance of catching tuberculoses, due to the poor detention conditions, and unconfirmed reports have even indicated that members of the Hizb-ut-Tahir are purposefully placed in cells with people infected with the disease. So far during 2002, 177 detainees have reportedly been infected with tuberculoses and 6 of them have died in Kyrgyzstan.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned for the physical and psycholigical integrity of Messrs. Abdurahmanov, Moldosmanov K., Nadjiev N., Addukaharov, Kadyrov A., given that they are being detained incommunicado and the reported grave risk of them being subjected to ill-treatment and torture. More generally, OMCT condemns the Kyrgyz authorities' persecution of the members of this reportedly non-violent organisation, in violation of the rights to the freedom of opinion, association and religious belief, and the conditions under which its members are being arrested and detained.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Kyrgyzstan urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Messrs. Abdurahmanov, Moldosmanov K., Nadjiev N., Addukaharov, Kadyrov A. and all other Hizb-ut-Tahir detainees;
ii. order their immediate release in the absence of valid legal charges or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
iii. intervene with the appropriate authorities in order to secure that the adequate medical assistance is provided as a matter of urgency to any and all ill prisoners;
iv. intervene with the appropriate authorities in order to secure that the detainees be allowed to meet with their relatives and lawyers;
v. guarantee an immediate investigation into the reported conditions of detention and use of torture, identify those responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial tribunal and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;
vi. put an immediate end to the persecution and harassment of the Hizb-ut-Tahir;
vii. 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/ 218 627, Email: ghpress2@rhl.bishkek.su
· Mr. Nikolai Tanaev, Prime Minister; fax: 996 312 661 382, mailto:pmoffice@mail.gov.kg
· Mr. Daniyar Narymbaev, Minister of Justice, Kyrgyzskaya Respublika, 720040, g. Bishkek, ul. Orozbekova, 37; mailto:minjust@bishkek.gov.kg
Please also write to the embassies of Kyrgyzstan in your respective country.
Geneva, October 4th, 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.