Subsequent to the Front Line Urgent Appeal issued on 16 June 2010, Front Line has received the following new information concerning the arrest and detention of human rights defender Mr Azimjan Askarov: Azimjan Askarov is reportedly being subjected to ill-treatment in detention in Bazar Korgon police station. Azimjan Askarov has not yet been informed of the charges against him and is being detained incommunicado.

Further Information

According to Front Line's sources, Azimjan Askarov's brother - who was arrested and detained together with Azimjan Askarov - has alleged that Azimjan Askarov was beaten and tortured during the interrogation, and fears for his life.

On the morning of 17 June 2010, unknown masked men broke into the house of Azimjan Askarov and attempted to carry out an illegal search thereof. However, they were prevented from doing so by journalists and other human rights defenders who were present at the time. It is reported that two similar attempts had previously been made. Kyrgyzstan's ombudsman Mr Tursunbek Akun, who has been ordered by interim president Roza Otunbaeva to follow the case closely, gave a press conference on 17 June in which he declared that the detention and accusations against Azimjan Askarov are unfounded. On the same day, numerous human rights organisations sent a letter to the interim government calling for the immediate release of Azimjan Askarov.

Azimjan Askarov was detained by representatives of Bazar Korgon police department on 15 June 2010. He is reportedly suspected of taking part in ethnic hostilities between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in the south of Kyrgyzstan. Azimjan Askarov had been working on documenting the human rights violations committed in this region. For some days previous to his detention, he had been collecting data about those who had been killed and injured during the recent ethnic conflict.

Front Line believes that the arrest of Mr Azimjan Askarov are linked to his peaceful activities in the defense of human rights in the most difficult and dangerous situation which Kyrgyzstan is currently facing. Front Line fears for the physical and psychological security of Azimjan Askarov in police detention facilities of Bazar Korgon. Front Line reiterates its call for the immediate and unconditional release of Azimjan Askarov and calls for all charges against him to be dropped.

See the original Urgent Appeal of 16 June 2010.