Kyrgyzstan: The government is not seeking for extremists in the south, but catches the civil activists and public figures
Ferghana.Ru learned that law enforcement bodies of Kyrgyzstan detained Azimzhan Askarov, local human rights defender and the head of Vozduh human rights organization, in the Bazarkorgon district of the Jalal-Abad Oblast.
Spravedlivost human rights group, the leader of human rights network in the region, including Vozduh, says that Azimzhan Askarov, being local dweller, observed the events in the Bazarkorgon village; he shot video and photos, documented the murders and lootings.
It has to be mentioned that public attention was all focused at Osh and Jalal-Abad events, while there was another bloody massacre of civilians in Bazarkorgon, home village of deputy head of interim government Omurbek Tekebaev. The part of the village was burned, people were escaping, most of women and children fled to Uzbekistan.
While people reported the total disorder in this village, the officials were informing local media that situation in the region was stable and shootings were over. Unofficial sources say that police officers suspect Askarov in the provocation.
Obviously, the law enforcement officers started removing traces since local residents tell us the officials are looking for photos and videos, made by locals and journalists, in order to eliminate them.
It also has to be mentioned that Azimzhan Askarov is one of the human rights defenders in Jalal-Abad that was persecuted by Bakiev’s regime because he was openly reporting the tortures in the local police offices.
Besides, unknown people in police uniform took Ulugbek Abdusalamov, one of the Uzbek community leaders in the region and chief editor of Diydor newspaper, whose office was attacked in April, 2010.
Azamzhan Akbarov, the leader of Rodina party told Ferghana.Ru that during Osh massacre Abdusalamov was located in Nookat district. He spent two days there and then he managed to reach Bazarkorgon (his native village) through Uzbekistan. At that day many village residents were massacred and Abdusalamov had to hide in private premises.
On the next day Abdusalamov was going to escape from the village, but he was caught by unknown people. They took Ulugbek only, leaving his other companions in the car. Abdusalamov was placed to detention facility while this morning he was taken to National Security service department, said his relatives.
Ulugbek Abdusalamov is the author of unofficial translations of few constitution texts into Uzbek language. By the request from interim government of the republic he translation the draft Constitution that would be offered at referendum, scheduled to June 27. Under the pressure of youth organizations the interim government decided not to publish Uzbek version of the text. Under support from UNDP Abdusalamov published 10 thousand copies of draft constitution in both Kyrgyz and Uzbek languages at Diydor newspaper. The headline of the text was "We will attend referendum!"