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Azimjon Askarov

Campaigning journalist and human rights advocate, Azimjon Askarov, is Kyrgyzstan's most famous prisoner. His retrial began on 4 October 2016.

Wikimedia/Alisher Siddiq

He was the only person fighting against corruption in our law enforcement ... to the police, he was public enemy number one.

Askarov's editor, Abdumomun Mamaraimov

The campaigning journalist and human rights advocate, Azimjon Askarov, is Kyrgyzstan's most famous prisoner; he is also a victim of the judicial corruption that he investigates. In September 2010, despite a paucity of evidence against him, Askarov was convicted of incitement to ethnic hatred, organising mass disorder, and complicity in a police officer's murder. He was handed a life sentence.


Abdumomun Mamaraimov, editor-in-chief of Voice of Freedom, says of the journalist: "He was the only person fighting against corruption in our law enforcement; he uncovered at least five killings by police officers. He published this information independently or passed it on to Voice of Freedom. I know that at least one prosecutor and 10 police officers were fired because of Askarov's reports; to the police, he was public enemy number one."




In such a tense, lethal atmosphere, Askarov - an ethnic Uzbek who exposed police corruption - was doubly at risk.



Askarov's trial was declared unfair by the UN's Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and 'politically motivated' by the Kyrgyz Human Rights Ombudsman (who also highlighted the lack of evidence against the journalist). In 2012, the UN Special Rapporteur on torture visited Askarov in jail and expressed concern about the denial of justice to the journalist. In the same year, the NGO Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), following an examination of Askarov's medical records, concluded that Askarov showed clinical evidence of traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder that were consistent with being tortured in custody. On 31 March 2016, the UN's Human Rights Committee found that Askarov had been arbitrarily detained, held in inhumane conditions, tortured and prevented from preparing a trial defence; the Committee called for his conviction to be quashed and for Askarov to be released.

The years of advocacy on Askarov's behalf by human rights organisations, governments and international bodies seem to have had an effect. On 12 July 2016, Kyrgyzstan's Supreme Court ordered a retrial, overturning a 2011 decision to deny the journalist's appeal of his life sentence.

Askarov's new trial started on 4 October, and was adjourned until 11 October. As of 4 October, Askarov remains in prison and in poor health.

Last Updated: 4 October 2016



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