Kazakh authorities deny dissident poet tortured in jail
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 14 November 2014 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Kazakh authorities deny dissident poet tortured in jail, 14 November 2014, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/548ea8a5c.html [accessed 28 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
November 14, 2014
By RFE/RL's Kazakh Service
Aron Atabek in a 2007 photo
Penitentiary authorities in Kazakhstan are denying reports from a rights group that says jailed dissident poet Aron Atabek has been tortured.
The warden of a detention center in the northern city of Pavlodar, Ernur Saspanov, told RFE/RL on November 14 that Atabek is "a too well-known individual to do anything illegal against him."
The Almaty-based nongovernmental organization Ar.Rukh.Khaq (Dignity, Spirit, Truth) said on November 10 that Atabek has been "tortured in custody."
It said guards have intentionally splashed water with a high concentration of chlorine on the floor of his cell, damaging his health.
Atabek, 61, was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2007 after being convicted of helping organize protests that resulted in the death of a police officer.
He told relatives in July that guards had broken his leg.
Atabek has maintained his innocence. He rejected a 2012 government pardon offer that would have required him to admit guilt.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
