The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in Kyrgyzstan in the following situation.
Description of the situation:
The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the threats and acts of harassment against members of the Kyrgyz Committee for Human Rights (KCHR), and in particular its Chairman, Mr. Ramazan Dyryldaev.
According to the information received, KCHR members started being subjected to threats and other acts of harassment following the publication on June 29, 2009 on the organisation website of an interview of Mr. Almazbek Atambaev, a candidate to the upcoming Kyrgyz presidential elections[1]. In his interview, the opposition candidate said that he was victim of threats because of his political activities, and reminded the fate of Mr. Ruslan Shabotaev, a member of Parliament from the opposition Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan (SDPK) who was abducted on September 30, 2008 and of Bakhtyar Zheenbekov, the young son of SDPK party member Zhusupzhan Zheenbekov, who was abducted near his kindergarten on September 24, 2008.
On June 30, 2009, three individuals wearing white caps came to the KCHR office, and the organisation employees refused to open the door to them. They individuals then asked where they could find Mr. Ramazan Dyryldaev. Given the absence of response from the employees, they said they would “find him”, and “break his hands and feet”. They added that KCHR should remove the interview from its website, if they wanted Mr. Dyryldaev to stay alive.
Moreover, on July 1 and 2, 2009, the same three individuals were spotted near the entrance of KCHR office, and as a consequence KCHR has recommended its employees to keep the office closed for some time.
The Observatory is concerned by these new acts of harassment against Mr. Ramazan Dyryldaev and the KCHR, all the more that Mr. Ramazan Dyryldaev had already been the victim earlier this year of acts of harassment and intimidation. Indeed, on April 6, 2009, as he was about to leave his flat, Mr. Ramazan Dyryldaev saw two men hurtling down the stairs in his direction and putting on masks. He had the time to close the door and lock himself inside. The two men then tried to enter the flat. They finally left after some time. Mr. Dyryldaev believes that this attack might be linked with his role as an observer at the trial of Mr. Ismael Isakov, former First Deputy Defence Minister and long-time opponent of President Akaev.
Finally, the Observatory recalls that as a Participating State of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Kyrgyzstan acknowledges that “the [...] UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders [... places] a responsibility [...] on states to adopt and implement adequate legislation and administrative procedures that would provide for a conducive environment for human rights defenders to promote and strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”, and recognises “the need for particular attention, support and protection for human rights defenders by the OSCE, its Institutions and field operations, as well as by participating States”[2].
Actions requested:
Please write to the Kyrgyz authorities, urging them to:
i. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Ramazan Dyryldaev;
ii. Order a thorough and impartial investigation into the above-mentioned events in order to identify all those responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial tribunal and apply to them the penal sanctions provided by the law;
iii. Put an end to any kind of harassment against Mr. Dyryldaev and all KCHR members and ensure in all circumstances that they be able to carry out their human rights activities without hindrances;
iv. Comply with all the provisions of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, in particular with Article 1, which provides that “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”, as well as with Article 12.2 (“the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration”);
v. More generally, comply with the provisions of the Document of the Copenhagen Meeting of the 2nd Conference on the Human Dimension of the Cooperation and Security Conference in Europe (CSCE) (1990), and ensure in all circumstances the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and with international and regional human rights instruments ratified by Kyrgyzstan.
Addresses:
· Mr. Bakiev Kurmanbek Salievich, President of Kyrgyz Republic, Kyrgyzskaya Respublika, 720003. Bishkek, Prospekt Chuy, 205, Fax: 996 312 218 627, Email: ghpress2@rhl.bishkek.su
· Mr. Igor Vasilevitch Tchudinov, Prime Minister, Fax: 996 312 218 627
· Mr. Bolotbek Nogoybaev, Minister of Internal Affairs, Fax: 996312663031, 996312288788
· Mr. Marat Kaipov, Minister of Justice, Fax: 996312663044 / 996312656502
· Mr. Elmurza Satybaldiev, Public Prosecutor of the Kyrgyz of Republic, Fax: 996312665411
· Permanent mission of Kyrgyzstan, Rue Maunoir 26, 1207 Geneva, Switzerland, Email: kyrgyzmission@bluewin.ch, Fax: +41 22 707.92.21
· Embassy of Kyrgyzstan in Brussels, 47 rue de l’Abbaye, 1050 Ixelles, Belgium, Tel: + 32 2 640 18 68 / + 32 2 640 38 83, Fax: + 32 2 640 01 31, Email: aitmatov@infonie.be
Please also write to diplomatic representations of Kyrgyzstan in your respective countries.
***
Geneva-Paris, July 7, 2009
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need. The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:
E-mail: Appeals@fidh-omct.org
Tel and fax OMCT + 41 22 809 49 39 / + 41 22 809 49 29
Tel and fax FIDH + 33 1 43 55 25 18 / +33 1 43 55 18 80
[1] The English version of the interview is available on the site at http://www.kchr.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=149, under the title “Almazbek Atambaev: I don’t know, will I survive or not till the July 23rd”.
[2] See OP 6 & OP 8 of the Resolution on Strengthening OSCE Engagement with Human Rights Defenders and National Human Rights Institutions, adopted by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly on July 10, 2007.