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| Azimjan Askarov (photo from archives DW.COM) |
Azimjan Askarov died in prison because
of years of ill-treatment and limited access to adequate medical care.
The Association of Human Rights in
Central Asia believes that Askarov was the victim of a premeditated murder -
the authorities were aware of the threat to his health, but ignored requests
for medical assistance, which led to his death.
Numerous facts indicate that criminal offences have been committed against human rights defender Askarov under the following articles of the Kyrgyz Criminal Code:
— 150 "Leaving in danger":
"...
knowingly leaving a person who is in a life-threatening or health-threatening
condition without the help and this person is deprived of the opportunity to
take measures for self-preservation due to the <…> illness or
helplessness, in cases when the perpetrator himself put him in a
life-threatening condition, while having the obligation to provide necessary
care <…>";
— 151 "Failure to provide
help":
"... failure
to assist a person who is in a life-threatening or health-threatening condition
and is unable to take measures for self-preservation because of <…> an illness <…>".
Taking into consideration the fact that
the Kyrgyz Republic has for a decade ignored all the appeals and
recommendations of international human rights bodies, including the UN Human
Rights Committee, which recognized Askarov as a victim of human rights
violations, we call for Azimjan Askarov to be declared the victim of the
political reprisal that led to his death.
The Association of Human Rights in
Central Asia believes that the President of Kyrgyzstan, Sooronbai Jeenbekov,
being the guarantor of the rights and freedoms enshrined in the Constitution,
in the current situation has shown lack of principles, becoming an accomplice
to a political murder.
We call on the countries of the
democratic community to put Sooronbai Jeenbekov, as well as all officials
involved in the torture and political murder of human rights defender Azimjan
Askarov, on the "banned persons list" of human rights violators.
We express our condolences to all the
relatives and colleagues of human rights defender Azimjan Askarov.
HE WILL BE REMEMBERED AND MISSED.
Team of the Association for Human Rights
in Central Asia
