Kyrgyzstan: Drop charges against 11 journalists and human rights defenders

As proceedings against 11 independent journalists and human rights defenders (HRDs) in Kyrgyzstan near conclusion, Amnesty International, Araminta, ARTICLE 19, Association for Human Rights in Central Asia, Civil Rights Defenders, Freedom for Eurasia, Freedom Now, Front Line Defenders, International Partnership for Human Rights, Norwegian Helsinki Committee, and People in Need call on the authorities to drop the charges and end the ongoing crackdown on free speech. The criminal charges against the journalists and HRDs are a textbook example of retaliation against investigative journalism and reporting on high-level corruption, the human rights groups said.

In mid-January 2024, law enforcement in Kyrgyzstan detained the 11 journalists and HRDs during a series of late-night raids, alleging that their critical reporting incited civil disobedience and mass unrest. The targeted individuals are Sapar Akunbekov, Tynystan Asypbekov, Aike Beishekeyeva, Joodar Buzumov, Azamat Ishenbekov, Aktilek Kaparov, Akyl Orozbekov, Saypidin Sultanaliev, Makhabat Tazhikbek Kyzy, Maksat Tazhibek Uulu and Jumabek Turdaliev. They have all been charged under Article 278.3 of the Criminal Code, which penalises “calls for active disobedience to the legal demands of government officials, incitement to mass riots, and violence against citizens” with up to eight years imprisonment. This broadly worded provision has been increasingly misused to target government critics. Since their arrest in January 2024, six of the journalists and HRDs have been released into house arrest and one under a travel ban, while four – Makhabat Tazhibek Kyzy, Aktilek Kaparov, Aike Beishekeyeva and Azamat Ishenbekov – remain in pretrial detention.

All of the 11 journalists and HRDs are current or former employees of the investigative YouTube Channel Temirov Live. They were prosecuted in relation to  video reports published by  Temirov Live and its affiliated channel “Ait Ait Dese,” which implicated high-level government officials in large-scale corruption. Journalist and HRD  Bolot Temirov, founder of both media outlets, has lived in exile since November 2022, when authorities de-facto stripped him of his Kyrgyzstani citizenship on trumped-up charges and expelled him from the country.

On 26 September 2024 state prosecutors requested a six-year’ prison sentence for all the defendants. After a delay in proceedings, a verdict is expected to be pronounced in the Leninsky District Court in Bishkek on 10 October 2024. Throughout the trial, the state investigators and the prosecution have not presented any credible evidence of calls for mass unrest, riots, violence, or “disobedience.” Instead, the prosecution has argued that the journalists’ and HRDs’ reporting on corruption discredited the authorities, which could potentially lead to riots and civil unrest.

In April 2024, one of the defendants, Makhabat Tazhibek Kyzy was physically assaulted in Pre-Trial Detention Center #1 in Bishkek, suffering bruises on her arms, face, and the left side of her jaw. However, in June 2024 prosecutors refused to open a criminal case into the alleged ill-treatment, claiming she had fabricated her injuries.

In July 2024, Makhabat Tazhibek Kyzy, Azamat Ishembekov, Aktylek Kaparov, and Ayke Beyshekeeva attended the court hearing wearing t-shirts that read “Ak iilet, birok synbait,” which translates from Kyrgyz as “the truth bends, but does not break.” The following day prison authorities raided the journalists’ cells and confiscated these t-shirts in yet another act of silencing.

By targeting the 11 journalists and HRDs for publishing their independent investigative work, the authorities have already undermined free speech and media freedoms in Kyrgyzstan. Their conviction and imprisonment would deal a new, severe blow to these fundamental freedoms. This move will further entrench self-censorship and heighten fears of prosecution among journalists, HRDs and civil society. Kyrgyzstan is wrongfully prosecuting some of the country’s most respected journalists and HRDs, whose only ‘crime’ is their persistent independent investigations into high-level corruption. The undersigned human rights organisations urge the authorities to drop the bogus charges against all the defendants in the case, release them, and ensure that all journalists and HRDs in Kyrgyzstan can carry out their activities without fear of reprisals, in line with Kyrgyzstan’s constitution and its international human rights obligations.

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For more information on recent trends affecting freedom of speech and other fundamental freedoms in Kyrgyzstan, see briefing paper issued by AHRCA and partners.

Crackdown on civic freedoms in Central Asia: NGOs highlight alarming trends

Civic space is becoming increasingly restricted in Central Asia, and civil society representatives are facing unprecedented challenges across the region. International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) and its regional partners call on the international community to use all available platforms to address these alarming trends and advocate for meaningful reforms that reverse repressive policies and safeguard civic freedoms. As international engagement in Central Asia grows, stakeholders should prioritise supporting the region’s embattled civil society, recognising its vital role in advancing democratic governance, human rights, the rule of law, justice, and public well-being.

A new briefing paper, jointly published by IPHR, Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law, Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights, and the Association for Human Rights in Central Asia, outlines pressing issues regarding restrictions on the freedoms of expression, association, and assembly in the five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan). The paper is released in connection with the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference, which gathers OSCE participating States, institutions, civil society, and other important stakeholders from 30 September to 11 October 2024, to discuss human rights in the OSCE region.

The briefing paper covers the following key issues:

Excessive and unjustified restrictions on civil society organizations (CSOs): The recent enactment of a foreign agent-style NGO law in Kyrgyzstan has raised particular alarm. The so-called 'law on foreign representatives' imposes stigmatising registration requirements and intrusive state oversight on foreign-funded NGOs engaged in 'political' activities - a term so broadly defined that it could encompass core CSO operations. Non-compliance may lead to severe consequences, including the suspension or liquidation of NGOs. The law has created widespread anxiety among CSOs, causing some to self-liquidate and others to restrict their activities to avoid repercussions. It also sets a troubling precedent for other Central Asian countries, where CSOs receiving foreign funding already face enhanced government scrutiny and widespread suspicion. The recent move in Kazakhstan to publicly list foreign-funded CSOs has reinforced these concerns.

At the same time, significant obstacles to CSO operations persist in the region. In Tajikistan, several hundred CSOs have been forcibly closed or pressured to shut down since 2022, leading to a sharp decline in the civil society sector. In Uzbekistan, human rights groups continue to struggle to obtain compulsory state registration, while in Turkmenistan, no human rights monitoring or advocacy groups are registered or able to operate openly.

Pressure on independent media and restrictions on access to information: The media climate in Kyrgyzstan, once relatively free, has deteriorated significantly due to government raids, arrests of journalists, forced media closure initiatives, and blocking of news sites. In Kazakhstan, independent media and journalists face regular harassment, and a new media law adopted in summer 2024 raises concerns about increased pressure, particularly on foreign outlets. Tajikistan's media crackdown has intensified, as authorities heavily interfere with media operations and currently imprison more journalists than in any other country in the region. Turkmenistan maintains strict censorship, limiting internet access and persecuting those who challenge the official narrative. In Uzbekistan, despite official rhetoric supporting free speech, independent information platforms, journalists and bloggers are increasingly targeted by retaliatory actions, and draft legislation under consideration risks resulting in new restrictions on media content and operations.

Across the region, authorities use concerns about disinformation, extremism and so-called traditional values as pretexts to stifle critical speech and restrict access to information.

Restrictions on the freedom of assembly and lack of accountability for serious human rights violations: In 2022, authorities used harsh measures to suppress mass protests during the ‘Bloody January’ events in Kazakhstan, in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) in Tajikistan, and in the Republic of Karakalpakstan in Uzbekistan. Serious human rights violations, including excessive force, torture, and other abuses related to these events, have largely gone unpunished as authorities have failed to adequately investigate these allegations and hold perpetrators accountable.

Meanwhile, the right to peaceful assembly continues to be violated across the region. In Kyrgyzstan, a prolonged court-sanctioned ban on protests remains in place in central Bishkek, while in Kazakhstan, authorities routinely deny permission for peaceful protests and arbitrarily detain and penalise protesters before, during, and after assemblies. In Turkmenistan, authorities suppress spontaneous protests while forcibly mobilising citizens for state-organised events, threatening them with reprisals if they do not participate.

Persecution of critical voices: Throughout Central Asia, civil society activists, human rights defenders, journalists, and bloggers who criticise government policies, speak out against human rights violations, and advocate for accountability face severe persecution. They are subjected to surveillance, threats, and attacks, and are arrested, prosecuted in trials which do not meet international fair trial standards, and imprisoned in retaliation for exercising their freedoms of expression, association, and assembly. Those prosecuted often face charges initiated under broadly worded Criminal Code provisions used to suppress free speech, such as those related to disseminating ‘false’ or slanderous information, inciting hatred, or alleged extremism. Others are charged with fabricated offenses like extortion or fraud.

There are significant concerns about individuals serving politically-motivated prison sentences under harsh conditions.

Repression also extends beyond borders, with critical voices abroad increasingly targeted through transnational measures. Additionally, intimidation and harassment frequently extend to family members, creating a pervasive climate of fear and silencing dissent in the region.

The briefing paper is based on ongoing cooperation between IPHR and its Central Asian partners on monitoring and documenting civic space developments in the framework of the CIVICUS Monitor, an initiative that tracks and rates civic freedoms across the world. The CIVICUS Monitor currently classifies civic space as ‘repressed’ in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, with scores of 40 and 27, respectively (on a scale from 0 to 100 where 0 is the worst and 100 the best). Meanwhile, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan are rated as ‘closed’, scoring 18, 12, and 8, respectively. This means that all Central Asian countries now fall into one of the two worst categories.

The briefing paper can bedownloaded below.

Uzbekistan: International human rights orgaisations call on President Mirziyoyev to veto “undesirable” foreigners law

The undersigned international human rights organisations express profound alarm at the recent approval of a new law by Oliy Majilis, the lower chamber of Uzbekistan's Parliament, concerning the legal status of foreign citizens and stateless individuals. These amendments represent a flagrant violation of international standards on freedom of expression and pose a serious risk of isolating the country. We urgently call on the President to veto this proposal and uphold fundamental human rights.

On June 25, 2024, the Oliy Majlis approved a draft law regulating the legal status of foreign citizens and stateless individuals in Uzbekistan. The Oliy Majlis, conducting the required second and third readings of the draft law in rapid succession, adopted amendments to existing legislation that will grant authorities the power to designate foreign citizens ‘undesirable’ in Uzbekistan and impose five-year travel bans on any foreigner for vaguely defined offences such as ‘demeaning the honour, dignity or historical legacy of the people of Uzbekistan’. The legislation will now proceed to the Senate for approval, before reaching President Mirziyoyev’s desk for signature.

We, the undersigned international human rights organisations, are deeply concerned that authorities in Uzbekistan could exploit the new law to arbitrarily deny access to the country for international human rights defenders, journalists, academics, scholars, lawyers, researchers. We fear that this legislation could effectively be used to ban entry for those advocating for human rights in Uzbekistan, as well as those reporting on rights violations, corruption, abuse of power, the socio-political landscape, women’s rights, the environment and other politically sensitive issues.  The adoption of provisions to impose entry bans on foreigners who shed light on human rights conditions inside the country, represents a sharp departure from President Mirziyoyev’s recent policies of deisolation, reform, openness and engagement with the international community.

We underline that these amendments contradict Uzbekistan’s international human rights obligations with respect to freedom of expression. If signed into law by the President they could severely restrict free movement and international exchange, contribute to the re-isolation of Uzbekistan internationally, undermining constructive dialogue with international human rights defenders, journalists, scholars and others whose inputs are crucial to secure the sustainability of President Mirziyoyev’s political reforms. Such measures would also damage Uzbekistan’s  international reputation. We call on President Mirziyoyev to veto the law and ensure that Uzbekistan remains open to the international community.

According to a statement from the Oliy Majlis’ press service, the amendments were introduced to ‘provide measures for securing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Uzbekistan in a globalized modern context’. Actions that can trigger designation as ‘undesirable’ include public speeches, statements or other actions that ‘undermine the state sovereignty or security of Uzbekistan’, incitement of ‘inter-state, social, national, racial or religious hatred’ and ‘demeaning the honour, dignity or historical legacy of the people of Uzbekistan’.

Any foreign citizen or stateless person, whether on the territory of Uzbekistan or abroad, may be designated as ‘undesirable’, resulting in a ban on entering Uzbekistan. Additional restrictions include bans on opening bank accounts, acquiring property, participating in privatization of state assets and engaging in financial and contractual relationships within Uzbekistan, for a period of five years. If foreign citizens are designated as ‘undesirable’ this may lead to the revocation of their legal residence rights and subsequent deportation from the country.

The proposed legislation also outlines the grounds and process for deporting individuals deemed ‘undesirable’. Upon receiving notification from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of their designation, foreigners will have to leave Uzbekistan voluntarily within 10 days. Failure to comply will result in deportation, involving forced expulsion from the country.

The draft law was introduced amidst a general deterioration of the human rights situation in Uzbekistan. While there was some initial progress on human rights protection after President Mirziyoyev came to power in 2016, in recent years authorities in Uzbekistan have increasingly cracked down on freedom of expression and media freedom,  imprisoning peaceful critics, and human rights defenders regularly report intimidation and harassment. In Reporters Without Borders’ 2024 World Press Freedom Index, Uzbekistan is ranked 148 out of 180, a marked decline since 2023. Two years ago, authorities used excessive force to suppress protests in Uzbekistan’s autonomous Karakalpakstan region, where fundamental freedoms face particular pressure and journalism is disintegrating due to increasing repression.

In recent years, authorities have also arbitrarily barred entry to the country for some journalists, researchers and human rights defenders, including Uzbekistani nationals residing abroad and foreigners.

Uzbekistani authorities have arbitrarily barred entry to the country for some journalists, researchers, and human rights defenders, including Uzbekistani nationals residing abroad and foreigners. In 2018, border officials refused entry to Mukhiddin Kurbanov, a 60-year-old refugee, referring to the revocation of his Uzbek citizenship. Others, however, have not received explanations for entry refusals from the Uzbekistani authorities. In 2019 the authorities refused entry to Uyghur language translator and researcher Yevgeny Bunin, who had previously worked on human rights abuses in Xinjiang, China, and Radio Ozodlik (Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty Uzbek service - RFE/RL) journalist Umid Bobomatov, in both cases failing to explain the reasons for denial. Also in 2019, authorities interrogated and deported writer and former member of parliament Nasrullo Saidov upon his arrival at the Tashkent International Airport.

In 2021, Uzbekistani authorities suspended the accreditation of Polish journalist Agnieszka Pikulicka-Wilczewska, known for collaboration with major English-speaking outlets such as  The Guardian, Al-Jazeera The Diplomat, and Eurasianet, because her reporting was allegedly ‘degrading the honour and dignity of the citizens of Uzbekistan’, and subsequently expelled her from the country and imposed an entry ban into Uzbekistan. In the following year, the number of individuals barred from entering without any justification increased significantly. In 2023, various border checkpoints in Uzbekistan refused entry to British journalist of Uzbek descent Shakhida Tulaganova, activist and political refugee Isokjon Zakirov, and Kazakhstani human rights defender Galym Ageleulov, who documented human rights violations in Karakalpakstan. The authorities also barred RFE/RL Uzbek service journalist Umid Bobomatov from entering Uzbekistan for the second time.

Signed by:

Norwegian Helsinki Committee

Civil Rights Defenders

International Partnership for Human Rights

Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (Poland)

Freedom for Eurasia

Freedom Now

Minority Rights Group Europe

Article 19

Association for Human Rights in Central Asia

Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

Lawyers for Lawyers

Uzbek Forum for Human Rights

Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law

Public Association “Bir Duino-Kyrgyzstan”

Human rights center "Viasna" (Belarus)

Public Association “Dignity” (Kazakhstan)

People In Need

Turkmen Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights

Swedish OSCE Network

Albanian Helsinki Committee

Macedonian Helsinki Committee

Human Rights Centre (HRC) Georgia

Freedom Files (Poland)

Austausch e.V. – For a European Civil Society

Human Rights Centre ZMINA, Ukraine

Public Verdict, Russia

Human Rights Defense Center Memorial

Promo-Lex Association

Front Line Defenders

Human Rights Groups Call for Action to End Torture in Central Asia - Joint Statement on International Day in Support of Victims of Torture

Today, 26 June, is the United Nations (UN) International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. On this day, the Coalitions against Torture in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, the Association for Human Rights in Central Asia (AHRCA, Uzbekistan, based in exile in France), the Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights (TIHR, Turkmenistan, based in exile in Austria), International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) and Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFHR) call on the governments of Central Asia to take concrete measures to end torture and ill-treatment. 

Torture and ill-treatment remain a widespread problem in Central Asia, and it is of particular concern when used against detainees who have been arrested on politically motivated grounds. Despite some positive legal steps taken across the region, which, on paper at least, improve the legislation addressing torture, the Central Asian states nonetheless fail to implement these measures effectively and consistently. 

Kazakhstan

In Kazakhstan, torture and ill-treatment remain a serious problem, and impunity for perpetrators persists. In 2023, the NGO Coalition Against Torture in Kazakhstan received a total of 283 complaints concerning torture (165 appeals) and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and punishment (118 appeals). Appeals were submitted on behalf of 19 women and 264 men. However, during the year, only 31 people were recognised as torture survivors by court, and 23 law enforcement representatives were convicted of torture, in three court sentences on the basis of Article 146 of Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code, which prohibits torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, while the other convictions were issued under provisions which do not specifically concern torture. In 2024 so far, the Coalition has received a total of 55 complaints concerning torture (27) and ill-treatment (28).

On paper, the penalties for torture became slightly stricter following the adoption of a set of amendments to the Criminal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code and the Criminal Executive Code in 2023. In particular, in accordance with these amendments, convicted perpetrators of torture are ineligible for parole. However, the Coalition’s monitoring shows that despite the Kazakhstani authorities’ stated commitment to discontinue the use of release on parole and other alternatives to imprisonment for perpetrators of torture, the 2023 amendments have yet to be implemented in practice. Recently, it became known that of five law enforcement officers who were convicted of torture (Article 146) on 10 February 2023 by the Specialised Interdistrict Criminal Court of Zhetysu Oblast in relation to their actions during the Bloody January events in 2022, four have since had their sentences commuted to a fine. The five officers were accused of using torture methods which included burning with iron, pulling out teeth with pliers, beating on different parts of the body, as well as sticking needles under fingernails.

During the Bloody January events of 2022, there were widespread reports of torture and ill-treatment against people detained at the time. As highlighted in a joint report published by IPHR, KIBHR, the NGO Coalition against Torture, and the World Organisation against Torture (OMCT), the authorities conducted investigations into several hundred complaints received about torture and ill-treatment, but these investigations did not meet international standards, and many were prematurely closed due to the alleged lack of elements of a crime. Moreover, victims have often not been granted adequate protection. According to figures from the General Prosecutor’s Office, as of January 2024, a total of 34 law enforcement officials had been convicted on charges relating to torture and other violations committed during the January 2022 events. In close to 50 other cases, legal proceedings were still under way. These figures show that the number of officials prosecuted for abuses remains low compared to the reported scope of the violations during the January events. 

Kyrgyzstan

In Kyrgyzstan, the practice of torture and ill-treatment against people in detention also persists. The UN Human Rights Committee has expressed concerns regarding the high level of impunity existing in cases of torture and ill-treatment in Kyrgyzstan as well as inadequate compensation provided to victims. The Committee has also called on the authorities to provide the National Centre for the Prevention of Torture (NPCT) with sufficient financial resources to carry out its mandate effectively and independently.

There are particular concerns regarding the detention conditions and treatment of those arrested in politically motivated cases, of which there has been an increasing number in the context of the government’s widening campaign against civil society and critical voices. A major concern is that defendants have been held for extended periods of time in inadequate conditions. For example, people arrested in the so-called Kempir-Abad case because of their peaceful criticism and civic engagement regarding a border deal with Uzbekistan were held for up to 19 months in pre-trial detention, where conditions reportedly were unsanitary and they had limited access to medical treatment and visits with family. In a ruling welcomed by human rights groups, on 14 June 2024, 22 of the defendants were acquitted by Pervomaisky District Court of Bishkek. Five other defendants in the case are being tried separately.

In another case, the NPCT raised concerns that journalists associated with the independent Temirov Live outlet, who were arrested in mid-January 2024, were initially held for two weeks in a temporary detention facility, only intended for short-term detention of up to 48 hours. The NCPT concluded that the journalists’ continued detention in this facility would qualify as “torture.” 

In late January 2024, the journalists were transferred to a pre-trial detention facility in the capital, and later some of them were moved to house arrest or released with a travel ban. However, four of them remained in custody when the trial began in June 2024. It is of further concern that one of them, Makhabat Tajibek kyzy, reported being beaten by a prison officer in April 2024. Representatives of the Ombudsperson’s Office confirmed the injuries she sustained as a result of the beating (bruises on her face and arms). However, the Penitentiary Service denied the allegations of ill-treatment, claiming that Tajibek kyzy’s injuries had been inflicted by fellow detainees at her request, and prosecutors refrained from opening any criminal case.

Tajikistan

In 2023 in Tajikistan, the NGO Coalition Against Torture and Impunity received 16 complaints of torture and ill-treatment, with five of them coming from women, two from minors. During the same period, criminal cases were initiated against five law enforcement officers under Article 143 part 1 of the Criminal Code (which penalises torture). All the law enforcement officials charged were found guilty and sentenced to prison sentences to be served in maximum security prison colonies.

The situation in the country remains tense following the crackdown in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) in response to protests and unrest in the region in November 2021 and May 2022. The authorities’ crackdown was marked by allegations of the excessive use of force, arbitrary detentions, torture and ill-treatment and numerous trials labelled unfair by the international community. There has still been no accountability for the violations perpetrated by authorities during the crackdown. On 28 May 2024, it was two years since the arrest of lawyer and human rights defender Manuchehr Kholiqnazarov, the Director of the Lawyers Association of Pamir (LAP), one of the few human rights organisations in GBAO. First arrested in May 2022, Kholiqnazarov was convicted on trumped-up charges by Tajikistan’s Supreme Court in December 2022 and sentenced to 16 years in prison - a sentence he is serving in a maximum security colony. There are concerns that he may have been subjected to torture or ill-treatment in prison. While his health has deteriorated significantly behind bars, the authorities have failed to ensure proper medical care for him. IPHR, the Tajikistan Civil Society Coalition against Torture and Impunity and their partners have repeatedly called for Kholiqnazarov’s release. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Mary Lawlor also raised concerns about his imprisonment and called for his immediate release. 

There are ongoing concerns about the forcible return of government critics and political opposition members to Tajikistan despite the risk that they may be subjected to torture. The extradition of activists from the countries of the European Union such as Germany are particularly worrying. In multiple cases, EU member states have complied with Tajikistan’s extradition requests for the return of individuals critical of the authorities despite the real risk of them being subjected to torture, ill-treatment, unfair trial and lengthy prison sentences upon their extradition, in direct violation of their human rights obligations.

On another note, as a recent IPHR report revealed, the authorities in Tajikistan have also disregarded treaty body recommendations to publicly condemn and respond to allegations of torture and other ill-treatment against LGBTIQ people, and have not investigated and prosecuted alleged perpetrators.

Turkmenistan

In Turkmenistan, amendments to the Criminal Code adopted in 2022 strengthened the prohibition on torture included in the Code (article 201). However, despite this welcome legal revision, serious concerns persist regarding the lack of effective measures in practice to combat torture and ill-treatment. 

The closed nature of the country’s prison system and the lack of access for independent, international monitors create a fertile environment for torture and ill-treatment. For the same reasons, combined with the government’s lack of transparency, it is very difficult to obtain information about torture and ill-treatment in the country. However, available information, in particular reports from former detainees indicate that torture and ill-treatment remain widespread, with those imprisoned on politically motivated grounds being at particular risk of abuse.

According to World Prison Brief, it was estimated that around 35,000 individuals were imprisoned in Turkmenistan in 2021. Based on a combination of analysis of satellite imagery, witness accounts, and research, a report published by Crude Accountability in 2023 concluded that prison conditions remain cruel and inhumane. The report documented the frequent use of incommunicado detention, inadequate access to sanitation, food, and medical treatment, as well as beatings and other ill-treatment of detainees. 

When reviewing the situation in Turkmenistan in 2023, the UN Human Rights Committee raised concerns regarding the lack of effective investigations into allegations of torture and ill-treatment and widespread impunity for perpetrators. The Committee highlighted, in particular, numerous allegations of torture, inhumane treatment, degrading detention conditions, and the denial of medical assistance at the Ovadan Depe prison, known to accommodate individuals convicted on politically motivated grounds. The Committee also expressed its deep concern regarding the ongoing practices of secret detention and enforced disappearances and the authorities’ failure to investigate such cases. 

Human rights activist Mansur Mingelov has been imprisoned for more than a decade on charges considered politically motivated. While serving his sentence, Mingelov has reportedly suffered from serious health problems, believed to be related to beatings to which he allegedly was subjected when first detained. According to the organisation Turkmen News, Mingelov has not been granted adequate medical assistance and denied release, although those diagnosed with his condition (bone tuberculosis) are eligible for release for medical reasons. Prison doctors have reportedly prescribed amputation, which he has refused. Both the UN Human Rights Committee and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) have raised concerns about Mingelov’s case and called for his release. 

Uzbekistan

The practice of torture and ill-treatment persists in many detention facilities in Uzbekistan despite official rhetoric suggesting that legal reforms have been effective in addressing this problem. There is a high degree of impunity for perpetrators of torture. The reasons for this include the lack of opportunities for victims held in pre-trial detention to report torture allegations and incommunicado detention of victims until the physical evidence of torture disappears. There is also a lack of access to independent medical examinations for victims of torture: a medical examination can only be ordered by the investigator when a criminal case on torture already has been opened. At the same time, investigators are often reportedly implicated in torture themselves. Moreover, the allegations of torture by victims are often ignored by law enforcement authorities and courts, even when the victims have obvious signs of torture on their bodies. Victims of torture who report their experiences also risk being accused of libel and slander. 

Due to ongoing pressure, independent human rights activists in Uzbekistan are unable to effectively monitor the situation concerning torture and ill-treatment.

On 18 June 2024, Dmitry Ivanus (a disabled prisoner) was summoned by the head of Prison Colony Settlement No. 51, and allegedly beaten and ill-treated by him and the deputy head of the colony.  Allegedly, the reason for the ill-treatment was that Ivanus had informed another prisoner about being forced to testify against him. Dmitry Ivanus is currently being held in a punishment cell for 10 days. Attempts by human rights activists to lodge a complaint have been unsuccessful. 

In another recent case of alleged torture, in May 2024, 30-year-old Denis Nikolaev reportedly lost sight in one eye after being severely beaten by law enforcement officials at Chilanzar District Police Station in Tashkent. While handcuffed, he was hit on the head with a mop several times, damaging his eye. Nikolaev reportedly did not receive medical care for his injuries, and the judge ordering him to serve ten days in detention for an administrative offence did not inquire about the injuries at the trial. Only after Nikolaev’s release, did the man undergo a medical examination which diagnosed a severe eye injury, requiring an urgent and expensive operation, which he could not afford. An investigator took steps to identify the alleged perpetrator, but it is not clear whether any criminal case has been opened.

Aleksandr Trofimov was reportedly tortured at the same Tashkent police station in 2021. Trofimov, who is disabled, was beaten, ill-treated and kicked in the head. A subsequent medical examination, carried out only after his lawyer repeatedly filed complaints with the Prosecutor’s Office, confirmed a rib fracture. However, t a criminal case under Criminal Code Article 235 (which penalises torture and ill-treatment) has yet to be opened. 

Over the past five years, the use of punitive psychiatry against critics of the authorities has increased. There is a striking case of such ill-treatment involving Shahida Salomova, a female lawyer and blogger defending victims of forced evictions, who was arrested and subjected to compulsory psychiatric treatment in December 2022 after making allegations about the president and his family. In January 2024, she was transferred from an open to a closed psychiatric hospital, where she is forbidden contact with her relatives and lawyer. A petition to review the decision of the Medical Commission regarding her treatment was rejected. 

We call on the authorities of Central Asian countries to put an immediate stop to torture by:

• acknowledging the scale of the problem of torture;

• publishing comprehensive statistics on cases and investigations;

• allowing independent monitors full access to detention facilities;

• ensuring constructive cooperation with relevant UN mechanisms and addressing entrenched systemic problems related to the use of torture in a transparent manner;

• continuing training for law enforcement personnel and prison staff in cooperation with UN bodies and international partners.

The Central Asian authorities must now immediately end the widespread impunity for torture and ill-treatment and cease degrading treatment of individuals.