Kyrgyzstan jails opposition figure on terrorism charges
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 29 August 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Kyrgyzstan jails opposition figure on terrorism charges, 29 August 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57db9a6113.html [accessed 31 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. |
August 29, 2016
By RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service
Kyrgyz politician Nurlan Motuev (file photo)
A court in Bishkek announced on August 29 that it has sentenced a controversial opposition figure to seven years in jail on terrorism-related charges.
Kyrgyzstan's Supreme Court said Nurlan Motuev was found guilty on August 23 of publicly supporting terrorism and inciting ethnic, racial, and religious hatred.
The 46-year-old Motuev was arrested on May 13, a day after he took part in an opposition rally in Bishkek and purportedly called for the establishment of Shari'a law in Kyrgyzstan.
According to the charges against Motuev, he also expressed support for Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq during the Bishkek rally.
Motuev ran for president in 2009 election but received less than one percent of the vote.
Motuev had been part of various opposition groups in recent years before establishing a group in 2012 called the Patriotic Movement, which has called for the nationalization of Kyrgyzstan's mineral resources.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
