Kyrgyzstan Supreme Court rejects jailed activist's appeal
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 3 September 2014 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Kyrgyzstan Supreme Court rejects jailed activist's appeal, 3 September 2014, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/542ac6fe4.html [accessed 5 June 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. |
September 03, 2014
By RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service
Kyrgyzstan's Supreme Court on September 3 rejected a jailed human rights activist's appeal for a review of the case against him.
Azimjan Askarov, a Kyrgyz citizen of Uzbek origin, is serving a life sentence after being convicted of involvement in organizing deadly clashes between ethnic Uzbeks and Kyrgyz in southern Kyrgyzstan in 2010 and in the murder of a policeman who was killed during the violence.
More than 450 people, mostly ethnic Uzbeks, were killed in the clashes.
Askarov says he is innocent and that his conviction was retaliation for his human rights activism.
Earlier this year, a district court in Bishkek ruled that Askarov's case must be reviewed because new evidence had emerged.
However, the Bishkek City Court later annulled that ruling, prompting Askarov's lawyers to file the appeal with the Supreme Court.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
