Relatives of Kempir-Abad Detainees Rally for Peace
Relatives of those detained in the so-called Kempir-Abad case staged a peaceful rally outside the Pervomaisky Court building in Bishkek, demanding open court hearings. They argue that the current hearings are being conducted in violation of laws and judicial processes, with defendants and lawyers being excluded from the proceedings, which they believe is a gross violation of the law.
The protestors stress that their only request is for the trials to be held in an open and transparent manner. They question why, if their relatives are truly “especially dangerous criminals,” the authorities are not conducting the process openly to prove their guilt to the public. They believe that the closed-door hearings are a deliberate attempt to conceal the lack of evidence against the defendants.
The next court hearing was scheduled for today, but had to be postponed due to the absence of two lawyers. Lawyer Erkin Sadanbekov explained that according to the Criminal Procedure Code, the presence of a defense attorney is mandatory in cases involving particularly serious crimes, such as the ones the defendants in the Kempir-Abad case are facing.
The Committee for the protection of the Kempir-Abad reservoir was established on October 22, 2022, consisting of activists, politicians, and MPs. Following the creation of the committee, mass arrests took place on October 23, resulting in 27 individuals being detained on charges of preparing for riots. Currently, 9 people remain in custody.
Several international human rights organizations, including the International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR), the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT), and others, have issued a statement urging the immediate release of the politicians and activists arrested in Kyrgyzstan. The organizations are calling for a fair and transparent judicial process to ensure the rights of the defendants are upheld.
