Kyrgyzstan: The State Committee for National Security continues to drag out investigations into the death of Azimzhan Askarov
On January 20, the Court of Pervomaiskiy district of Bishkek, having considered the complaint of the lawyer Avtandil Bakytbek, recognized the inactivity of the State Committee for National Security in the investigation into the death of human rights activist Azimzhan Askarov as unfounded.
The complaint was filed due to the fact that the investigator of the Main Directorate of the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic for the city of Bishkek Mr. Nazarov has materials of the criminal case on the death of human rights activist Askarov in the colony № 47. On December 2, 2021, lawyers filed a petition on the need to interrogate witnesses with the mandatory participation of the victim Haditha Askarova, the wife of the human rights activist. The lawyers asked to notify the investigating body of the time and date of the interrogation. However, more than a month and a half had passed since the request was made, but no answer, either positive or negative, was received.
According to parts 2 and 3 of Article 124 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Kyrgyz Republic, the petition is subject to consideration and resolution immediately after the application. In cases where an immediate decision on the application is impossible, it must be resolved no later than one day from the date of the application. An authorized person of the body of inquiry, an investigator, a prosecutor, a judge shall issue a decision on the complete or partial refusal to satisfy the petition, and the court shall issue a ruling and inform about it the person who has filed the petition.
Earlier, on October 26, 2021, according to the decision of the investigating judge of the Court of Pervomaiskiy district of Bishkek Mr. Ibraimov, the actions of the SCNS investigator were also declared illegal and unreasonable.
“Thus, the investigator of the State Committee continues to ignore the petitions of lawyers, despite the court decision. After partial satisfaction by the Court of Pervomaiskiy district, the lawyers intend to transfer the case to the Prosecutor’s Office and recover funds from the Ministry of Finance and the State Committee for National Security in favor of the victim for the inaction of the investigating authorities,” human rights activists emphasize.
