Threats and restrictions to CSOs

With escalation of violence against ethnic Uzbeks in southern Kyrgyzstan, those Kyrgyzstani human rights defenders of Uzbek ethnicity, who were monitoring and documenting the situation, fell under great risk of persecutions and attacks by the Kyrgyz authorities. Human rights defender and ethnic Uzbek, Azimzhan Askarov, was detained on 15 June 2010 in southern Kyrgyzstan. It has been reported that he is being tortured, denied medical care and his life is in danger. He is a prisoner of conscience and must be released immediately.

The independence of the judiciary has once again come under the limelight in Fiji with sacking of 5 magistrates by the military regime on or about 19 July 2010. Carrying out their functions under bondage of the Military, the judiciary offers citizens the last refuge of hope for asserting their infringed rights.

On October 16th, 18 participants of the action for fair elections were detained in Moscow. About 100 activists of the “Left Front” and the Institute “Collective Action” gathered before the building of the President’s Administration to collect signatures under the appeal to President Medvedev urging him to cancel the results of the regional elections that took place on October 11th and organize new fair elections. The place of the action was guarded by 50 policemen and 2 buses of the special police squad.