Originally published by 24.kg news agency, 24 Sept 2010

Kyrgyzstan’s State National Security Service (GSNB) claims that they banned screening a film shot by a human rights activist from China according to the order issued by the Head of Presidential Administration Emil Kaptagaev. Human Rights Center “Citizens against corruption” reported with reference to the GSNB.

Note that the scandal, threatening to escalate into an international, broke out today during the festival of documentary films on human rights. The State National Security Service suspended the screening of “The 10 Conditions of Love” directed by John Lewis (Australia), which was shown in the Historical Museum at the IV International Festival on Human Rights, held in Bishkek. Officers of the intelligence agency stopped screening of the film in the middle of the show.

“According to GSNB officers, the film was banned. Supposedly they have a written permit signed by the Chief of President’s Administration Emil Kaptagaev, however the document was not submitted to the organizers and human rights activists, but the demonstration of the movie was suspended,” the human rights center informs.

GSNB officers also foiled a film “Russian Lessons” directed by Andrei Nekrasov and Olga Konskaya (Russia – Norway), displaying human rights violations.

Human Rights Center “Citizens against corruption” stated that “the film focuses on the fate of a prominent human rights defender – the president of the World Uighur Congress – Rebiya Kadeer. In the mid-1990’s she became China’s seventh richest person. Rebiya Kadeer has also been an advisor to the government. She openly criticized the policies pursued by China in her native Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang).”

As the leaders of civil society note, “yesterday representatives of the central council of the society Uighurs’ Ittipak made a request to cancel screening of the film and to organize its show after the parliamentary elections”.

“The reason for such a request was the pressure from the GSNB on the Uighur community, since allegedly the film will affect the socio-political situation in Kyrgyzstan on the eve of parliamentary elections,” civil society activists explain.

Note that the Human Rights Center “Citizens against corruption” is one of the organizers of the festival.