Kyrgyzstan: Prosecutors Seek 20 Years For Peaceful Critics – OpEd
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Kyrgyzstan prosecutors are seeking 20-year sentences for a group of government critics in the Kempir-Abad case. The group, which includes human rights defenders, journalists, bloggers, and civil society activists, was arrested in October 2022 after peacefully campaigning against the transfer of jurisdiction over the Kempir-Abad dam to Uzbekistan. The trial has been marred by serious violations of due process and fair trial guarantees, including closed-door proceedings, limited access to defense lawyers, and rejection of defense motions. The prosecution has presented no credible evidence, relying on doctored recordings of discussions. The defendants have been arbitrarily detained, with some spending up to 19 months in pretrial detention. The case reflects a deterioration in civic space in Kyrgyzstan, with authorities cracking down on free speech and independent media. Human rights groups are calling for the charges to be dropped and the immediate release of the defendants.
#Kyrgyzstan #GovernmentCritics #HumanRights #KempirabadCase
https://www.eurasiareview.com/13062024-kyrgyzstan-prosecutors-seek-20-years-for-peaceful-critics-oped/
Eurasia Review /
npub1wc…jzsfw
2024-06-13 01:40:53
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npub1wc7d8ck45cw5jgdwx6du933w2eqtgpmyvxgk6wtmzdghtpwrx2cqejzsfwPublished at
2024-06-13 01:40:53Event JSON
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"content": "Kyrgyzstan: Prosecutors Seek 20 Years For Peaceful Critics – OpEd\n==========\n\nKyrgyzstan prosecutors are seeking 20-year sentences for a group of government critics in the Kempir-Abad case. The group, which includes human rights defenders, journalists, bloggers, and civil society activists, was arrested in October 2022 after peacefully campaigning against the transfer of jurisdiction over the Kempir-Abad dam to Uzbekistan. The trial has been marred by serious violations of due process and fair trial guarantees, including closed-door proceedings, limited access to defense lawyers, and rejection of defense motions. The prosecution has presented no credible evidence, relying on doctored recordings of discussions. The defendants have been arbitrarily detained, with some spending up to 19 months in pretrial detention. The case reflects a deterioration in civic space in Kyrgyzstan, with authorities cracking down on free speech and independent media. Human rights groups are calling for the charges to be dropped and the immediate release of the defendants.\n\n#Kyrgyzstan #GovernmentCritics #HumanRights #KempirabadCase\n\nhttps://www.eurasiareview.com/13062024-kyrgyzstan-prosecutors-seek-20-years-for-peaceful-critics-oped/",
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