HRW reiterates concerns for opposition activist

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has reaffirmed its concerns that the Kyrgyz authorities have threatened to arrest an opposition activist on politically motivated charges. "This case is significant, because it is the latest example of political persecution in Kyrgyzstan and one of the most outrageous attacks on the Ar-Namys [Dignity] party since the conviction of its leader, Feliks Kulov," Acacia Shields, a researcher for the watchdog group, told IRIN from the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek on Monday. "Human Rights Watch is deeply concerned that Dulatov is at risk of becoming Kyrgyzstan's next political prisoner," she said, calling the case against him an "obvious fabrication". While Tynchtykbek Dulatov, an Ar-Namys member, was ordered to report to the police on kidnapping charges, HRW said in a statement that the charges derived from an incident during the February 2003 constitutional referendum, which Ar-Namys and other observers had declared as fraudulent. "The circumstances of this case are extremely suspicious," said Elizabeth Andersen, the executive director of the Europe and Central Asia division of HRW. "It certainly looks like an act of retaliation against Ar-Namys for its revelations about misconduct during the vote." The statement noted that the "kidnapping" charge was related directly to Ar-Namy's monitoring of the referendum and investigation of voting fraud: Dulatov interviewed a young man who reportedly had been bussed around Bishkek so that he could vote multiple times at polling stations throughout the city. Dulatov had been called to one of the polling stations when this group arrived, and convinced a precinct election official not to allow the group to vote. He reportedly asked one member of the group, 19-year old Botir Chordoev, to come to the local election monitoring office to describe what had happened. Chordoev allegedly told Dulatov and others present that city officials had called him and told him he had to come along to vote, and that by the time he had spoken to Dulatov, he had voted four times already, the statement said. City officials involved in the bussing scam allegedly called police to report a kidnapping when they saw Chordoev go off with Dulatov, although, according to the acting Ar-Namys leader, Emil Aliev, Chordoev's presence was completely voluntary. Shortly after Ar-Namys publicised the bussing scam and other evidence of voting fraud, Chordoev filed a police complaint that he had been kidnapped. But on 24 March, when police brought both men in for questioning, the young man withdrew his complaint. Police then held Dulatov in custody for two days and, shortly thereafter, placed Chordoev in Bishkek's state mental hospital, where he was held for about two weeks. By 28 April, when Dulatov was again summoned for questioning, Chordoev had changed his testimony and given evidence against Dulatov. The latter told HRW that during questioning, police had threatened him with a sentence of up to 10 years. HRW reported that on 30 April, a police investigator telephoned Dulatov's home; told that he was out, she allegedly shouted at his wife and cursed her, threatening that if she did not "deliver" her husband within an hour, police would arrest him and "lock him up". It was unclear whether the investigator wanted him to appear for further questioning or was seeking to arrest him as a pre-trial restraining measure. The police investigator told HRW that her telephone conversation with Dulatov's wife was adequate notification for his appearance. However, under article 12 of the Kyrgyz criminal procedure code, arrests can be made only on the basis of a warrant and, under article 134, official summonses must be issued for a suspect to be called in for questioning. The head of the Ar-Namys party, Feliks Kulov, is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for abuse of office while serving in government. Kulov, who was excluded from running in the 2000 presidential elections, is considered a popular political opposition leader in Kyrgyzstan and one of the serious candidates who could challenge President Askar Akayev in an election. "The jailing of Feliks Kulov is a stain on Kyrgyzstan's human rights record," said Andersen. "Kyrgyzstan should not add to the number of its political prisoners by locking up Dulatov as well." Commenting on the overall rights atmosphere in Central Asia's second-smallest nation, Shields said the level of human rights protection was declining. "The situation here is dramatically worsening," she said, calling on the government to drop its case against Dulatov. People were increasingly losing faith in the state to provide them with truthful information, to protect their rights, or to remedy injustices when they occurred, she added. According to HRW, over the past year, Bishkek has tried to disable the Ar-Namys, with leaders of the party alleging that members and their families had been threatened with losing their jobs if they did not end their party affiliation. Some had allegedly received visits from Ministry of National Security agents, who "encouraged" them to leave the party and sign statements disavowing their membership. In May last year, police detained 80 members of the party and others who had gathered for a protest outside the parliament. The demonstrators were released a day and a half later after pressure from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and others.