Kyrgyzstan
06.06.01
Urgent Interventions
Kyrgyzstan: Continuing harassment against KCHR
URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY
KGZ 001/0106/OBS 048
Continuing harassment against KCHR
Kyrgyzstan
6th June 2001
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, an FIDH and OMCT venture, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Kyrgyzstan.
Brief description of the facts :
The Observatory has been informed of new acts of harassment against the Kyrgyz Committee for Human Rights (KCHR).
According to the information received, the property of the KCHR was confiscated on 29th May, 2001 by bailiffs, including 3 computers, a copy machine and a fax in the Bishkek office and one computer in the Talas office. This confiscation is based on several decisions of justice confirmed by the Urban Court of Bishkek on 24th May. Some material had already been confiscated on 14th March. As a consequence, it has become very difficult for the KCHR to pursue its work, and the current activities of the office in Bishkek are for now paralysed.
Moreover, on 31th May, the Pervomay Court of Bishkek sentenced the KCHR to pay a 1600 US$-fine to Mr. Eliseev. Mr. Eliseev, a former collaborator of the KCHR, who was fired for non-authorised absences in December 1997, has filed numerous charges against the Committee, accusing it, in particular, to have confiscated his work record. As a result of these numerous complaints, the KCHR has been sentenced to pay a global amount of 8000 US$, in a period of 4 years.
The Observatory has finally been informed that the Pervomay Court of Bishkek is investigating the claim of S. Botaliev to consider the legal registration of KCHR from 20th June 1996 as invalid. S. Botaliev had been placed at the head of a fictional Committee, when the KCHR had been denied its legal status in September 1998 and replaced by a bogus organisation until August 1999.
Those facts are one further illustration of the instrumentalisation of justice by the Kyrgyz authorities with the aim to annihilating the capacity of action of the KCHR. (See also Observatory appeal KGZ 001/0005/ OBS 036 and follow-ups and the 2000 Human Rights Defenders Report, pp. 152-156)
Action requested :
Please write to the Kyrgyz authorities demanding that they :
i. put an end to all forms of harassment of human rights defenders and their organisations, in particular the current legal proceedings against the KCHR and its members;
ii. ensure the implementation of the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 19998, in particular its article 1 which provides that "every person has the right, individually or collectively, to promote the protection and fulfilment of human rights and fundamental liberties at the national and international level."
iii. Guarantee the effective respect of fundamental rights and liberties in accordance with the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the international and regional pacts and covenants ratified by Kyrgyzstan.
Addresses :
The President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Askar Akayev, Kyrgyzskaya Respublika, 720003 g. Bishkek, Prospekt Chuy, 205 Fax: + 996 (312) 218 627 ; E-mail: ghpress2@rhl.bishkek.su
Geneva-Paris, 6th June 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken, quoting the reference number given above.
The Observatory, an FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line
Tel : FIDH : +33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 ;
OMCT : +41 22 809 49 39
E-mail : observatoire@iprolink.ch
KGZ 001/0106/OBS 048
Continuing harassment against KCHR
Kyrgyzstan
6th June 2001
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, an FIDH and OMCT venture, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Kyrgyzstan.
Brief description of the facts :
The Observatory has been informed of new acts of harassment against the Kyrgyz Committee for Human Rights (KCHR).
According to the information received, the property of the KCHR was confiscated on 29th May, 2001 by bailiffs, including 3 computers, a copy machine and a fax in the Bishkek office and one computer in the Talas office. This confiscation is based on several decisions of justice confirmed by the Urban Court of Bishkek on 24th May. Some material had already been confiscated on 14th March. As a consequence, it has become very difficult for the KCHR to pursue its work, and the current activities of the office in Bishkek are for now paralysed.
Moreover, on 31th May, the Pervomay Court of Bishkek sentenced the KCHR to pay a 1600 US$-fine to Mr. Eliseev. Mr. Eliseev, a former collaborator of the KCHR, who was fired for non-authorised absences in December 1997, has filed numerous charges against the Committee, accusing it, in particular, to have confiscated his work record. As a result of these numerous complaints, the KCHR has been sentenced to pay a global amount of 8000 US$, in a period of 4 years.
The Observatory has finally been informed that the Pervomay Court of Bishkek is investigating the claim of S. Botaliev to consider the legal registration of KCHR from 20th June 1996 as invalid. S. Botaliev had been placed at the head of a fictional Committee, when the KCHR had been denied its legal status in September 1998 and replaced by a bogus organisation until August 1999.
Those facts are one further illustration of the instrumentalisation of justice by the Kyrgyz authorities with the aim to annihilating the capacity of action of the KCHR. (See also Observatory appeal KGZ 001/0005/ OBS 036 and follow-ups and the 2000 Human Rights Defenders Report, pp. 152-156)
Action requested :
Please write to the Kyrgyz authorities demanding that they :
i. put an end to all forms of harassment of human rights defenders and their organisations, in particular the current legal proceedings against the KCHR and its members;
ii. ensure the implementation of the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 19998, in particular its article 1 which provides that "every person has the right, individually or collectively, to promote the protection and fulfilment of human rights and fundamental liberties at the national and international level."
iii. Guarantee the effective respect of fundamental rights and liberties in accordance with the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the international and regional pacts and covenants ratified by Kyrgyzstan.
Addresses :
The President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Askar Akayev, Kyrgyzskaya Respublika, 720003 g. Bishkek, Prospekt Chuy, 205 Fax: + 996 (312) 218 627 ; E-mail: ghpress2@rhl.bishkek.su
Geneva-Paris, 6th June 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken, quoting the reference number given above.
The Observatory, an FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line
Tel : FIDH : +33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 ;
OMCT : +41 22 809 49 39
E-mail : observatoire@iprolink.ch