The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay in on her first two day visit in Kyrgyzstan, starting on July 9, 2012.
On the day of her arrival to Kyrgyzstan, Ms. Pillay met with President Almazbek Atambaev and other Government officials, as well as with human rights defenders and non-governmental organizations in Bishkek and Osh, with an intention to visit the areas affected most by the June 2010 tragic events and to have an opportunity to interact with the “southern capital” population.
While in Osh, the High Commissioner reported the OHCHR Mission in Osh receiving evidence of torture being committed by authorities, including 68 cases of alleged torture or ill-treatment between August 2010 and February 2012, in the context of criminal investigations into the June 2010 violence in Osh and neighboring regions. She then requested that the city’s mayor Melisbek Myrzakmatov should make a clear public statement stressing that there will be zero tolerance for torture, says 24.kg.
In response, the Osh city deputy mayor Dastanbek Khodjaev has indicated getting no complaints regarding use of torture by the law enforcement officers: “Should you have any information about alleged torture, please let us know so that we could keep this situation under control”, he assured.
At a meeting with the Ombudsman of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Human rights chief emphasized that the Government must tackle discrimination against citizens due to their ethnic or religious identity, citing the case of Osh where around 50 per cent of the population is of Uzbek origin and yet there are no Uzbek judges among the judiciary: “Discrimination, especially on ethnic, religious and gender grounds, remains a deeply problematic issue with ethnic and national minorities significantly underrepresented in the executive government and bureaucracy, law enforcement bodies and judiciary,” she said.
During the meeting the High Commissioner has also spoken about the convicted human rights defender Azimzhan Askarov. The Ombudsman assures he has insisted on review of the case as most human rights organizations do, but little progress has been made so far.
Following her visit to Kyrgyzstan, the High Commissioner will begin her two-day visit to Kazakhstan on 11 July in the country’s biggest city, Almaty, where she will meet the minister of foreign affairs and civil society organizations and human rights defenders, before flying to the capital Astana. In Astana, she is scheduled to meet the prime-minister, ministers of interior and justice, says the official communication of the OHCHR.
Fergana International Information Agency
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