Kyrgyzstan: Prosecutor General’s Office launches new investigation into Askarov’s case

The Prosecutor General’s Office is preparing to launch a new investigation into the death of human rights activist Azimzhan Askarov. Delegates from the Kyrgyz Republic announced this at the 11th round of the Dialogue on Human Rights between the European Union and Kyrgyzstan on September 6 in Brussels.

In particular, the European Union and the Kyrgyz Republic held the 11th round of the annual Human Rights Dialogue. The discussion touched upon individual cases, including the case of human rights defender Azimzhan Askarov.

The EU recalled the need for an impartial and transparent investigation into the death of a human rights defender. The Kyrgyz side informed that the General Prosecutor’s Office is preparing to start a new investigation into this fact.

Earlier, on August 23, the Sverdlovsk District Court of Bishkek upheld the complaint of the lawyer Aydar Sydykov against the decision of the State Service for Execution of Punishment investigator to terminate the criminal case on the death of human rights activist Azimzhan Askarov.

The State Penitentiary Service will be engaged in a new investigation of the death of the human rights defender. However, the lawyers are going to seek the transfer of the case to the State Committee for National Security, since the State Penitentiary Service, in their opinion, is interested in terminating the criminal case.

Recall that human rights activist Azimzhan Askarov died on July 25, 2020, in correctional colony No. 47 in Bishkek. He was 69 years old. Shortly before his death, human rights defenders repeatedly appealed to the authorities to release him due to his deteriorating health condition, but their requests were ignored.