Kyrgyzstan: lawyers don’t have access to their clients
In connection with the complaints of lawyers about the denial of access to the institutions of the State Penitentiary Service (SSEP) to meet with their clients, the National Center for the Prevention of Torture of Kyrgyzstan sent an official request on July 23 on the possibility of lawyers’ access to pre-trial detention centers, correctional and educational colonies.
On August 6, human rights activists received a response from the State Penitentiary Service.
“The official letter from the State Penitentiary Service says that based on the order, a special procedure is introduced for admission to penal institutions and activities carried out with the participation of suspects and accused are limited. At the same time, meetings with lawyers are allowed if the defenders have the results of the PCR test, ”the State Penitentiary Service was quoted as saying in the National Center.
Thus, there is no departmental normative act restricting the right of clients to meet with lawyers.
“In this regard, we came to the conclusion that the right to defense is violated by individual employees of the State Penitentiary Service, which is unacceptable. Each fact of obstruction of the activities of lawyers should be the subject of a thorough investigation, in accordance with the legislation of the republic, ”the National Center for the Prevention of Torture concluded.
