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KYRGYZSTAN : Violation of freedom of expression by the interim government must stop

Originally published by FIDH, 28 Sept 2010
 
FIDH and its member organisation Citizens Against Corruption (CAC) strongly condemn the prohibition, on September 24, by security services of the screening of the Chinese documentary « 10 conditions of love » which tells the story of the well-known Uighur leader Rabiya Kadyr.
On September 24, 2010, the organisers of the international human rights documentary film festival “Bir duyno Kyrgyzstan”, among which CAC, were summoned to a meeting with the direction of the historic museum of Bishkek. Upon arrival, they realised that a member of the security servicies (GSNB) of Kyrgyzstan, and a deputy head of the office of GSNB for the fight against terrorism were also present at the meeting. The organisers of the festival were forbidden from screening the documentary film « 10 conditions of love », claiming that the Uighur diaspora had asked them to delay the projection of the film untill after the parliamentary elections which will take place on October 10.

The employee of GSNB first brought up an oral order of the Commander of the Armed forces of the Kyrgyzs Republic, then mentioned a letter from the head of the Presidential Administration of the interim government, E. Kaptagayev, forbidding the screening of the film, because of the film’s purported influence on interethnic relations in Kyrgyzstan. According to FIDH president Souhayr Belhassen « It is extremely worrying that such orders violating freedom of expression come from the administration of the Interim President, less than two weeks after the condemnation of human rights defender Askarov to life imprisonment. It is another blow to civil society. »

The movie was screened for 30 minutes after which the museum administration simply turned the lights off. Later on the same evening, the festival’s website www. Birduino.kg was hacked.
Tolekan Ismailova, head of the human rights center « Citizens against corruption », declared : « This festival is held in accordance with the laws of the Kyrgyz Republic, and neither violates the laws « On culture » , nor any agreement that Kyrgyzstan ratified in the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The GSNB actions violate the rights of citizens. »

FIDH and its member organisation Citizens Against Corruption urge kirghiz authorities to :

* immediately authorise the screening of the film « 10 conditions of love », and not interfere with the regional screenings planned throughout the country in the framework of the international human rights documentary film festival “Bir duyno Kyrgyzstan”.

* immediately stop the repression against civil society;

* respect fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression according to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.