Kyrgyzstan: singer and social media activist's appeal for acquittal rejected (Update)
Event- Country
- Kyrgyzstan
- Initial Date
- Oct 17, 2024
- Event Description
The Bishkek City Court on October 17 rejected an appeal by Kyrgyz government critic Askat Zhetigen and upheld his three-year prison sentence. Zhetigen was convicted in July of calling for an attempt to seize power, a case he and rights organizations have strongly contested. He was, however, acquitted of a separate charge related to inciting mass unrest. Zhetigen, a poet, composer, and activist, gained attention in 2021 for speaking out on social media on cultural and political issues, including government reforms and the treatment of critics under President Sadyr Japarov. The charges stemmed from a video in which he criticized Japarov's administration. Zhetigen has claimed that he was tortured while in custody, allegations that the New York-based Human Rights Foundation has called for an independent investigation into. It has also condemned the charges as fabricated and demanded Zhetigen's immediate release.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Artist
- Blogger/ Social Media Activist
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Event Location
Latitude: 42.88318028855115
Longitude: 74.63927876342257
- Event Location
- Summary for Publications
On 17 October 2024, the Bishkek City Court at Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan rejected an appeal by artist and social media activist Askat Zhetigen to acquit him of charges of "Challenging to Usurp Power" under Article 327 of the Criminal Code.