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In an appeal for urgent action, eight prominent human rights organizations are urging Kyrgyzstan authorities to ensure the safety of imprisoned human rights defender, Makhabat Tazhibek Kyzy. Tazhibek Kyzy has reported receiving death threats from a fellow prisoner, raising significant concern about her safety within the prison system. The plea, outlined by groups including Human Rights Watch and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, highlights the critical need for measures to protect her amidst reported vulnerabilities (read more).
Makhabat Tazhibek Kyzy, who heads the Tazhibek Kyzy YouTube media outlet, established by her husband in 2020, has been at the forefront of uncovering corruption involving both state and non-state entities in Kyrgyzstan. Earlier this week, her husband, Bolot Temirov, shared a handwritten letter she penned, pleading for help.
Representatives from the National Center for the Prevention of Torture recently issued a statement post-visit, asserting that the threats against Tazhibek Kyzy appeared to have been addressed. Nonetheless, allied rights groups maintain that her “safety and well-being persist due to her vulnerable position in prison.”
The legal troubles for Tazhibek Kyzy began in January 2024 when law enforcement authorities raided her office at Temirov Live, leading to her arrest. Her work exposing corruption through this media outlet contributed to her being charged with organizing and promoting mass civil unrest, according to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan.
Alleged physical abuse by law enforcement during her pre-trial period has been reported by Front Line Defenders. The National Center for the Prevention of Torture visited the detention center; however, center staff barred them from documenting the injuries by taking photographs. Prosecutors subsequently dismissed Tazhibek Kyzy’s allegations, accusing her of fabricating the physical evidence.
In October, Tazhibek Kyzy received a six-year prison sentence. Human rights organizations contend that these charges are unsubstantiated and politically motivated, essentially serving as reprisal for her investigative work in journalism. This view is unanimously echoed in their recent statement, emphasizing the imperative for protective measures to safeguard her life.
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