In Kyrgyzstan, more women than men are accused of violent crimes in the context of domestic violence, and the Minister of Labor and Social Development has said that 89% of women in prison convicted of murder or attempted murder suffered from domestic violence.
The Clooney Foundation for Justice’s TrialWatch initiative, through its partnership with the American Bar Association Center for Human Rights, monitored the trial of Gulzhan Pasanova.
Pasanova is a domestic violence survivor who was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm to her husband that resulted in his death, despite her credible claim of self-defense. After the monitoring, TrialWatch submitted an amicus brief in support of her appeal, and working with Covington & Burling LLP, has since taken her case to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women; TrialWatch has also raised the issue before the UN Human Rights Committee.
In addition, as Kyrgyzstan cracks down on opposition, through its partnership with the USC Gould School of Law, TrialWatch monitored the prosecution of Kamil Ruziev, a lawyer who has been working for years on behalf of victims of torture.
In retaliation for his work the authorities targeted him through the courts, according to the TrialWatch Expert on the case Hannah Garry. Ruziev had previously filed 14 torture-related complaints against government officials on behalf of clients. A court acquitted Ruziev following TrialWatch’s monitoring and advocacy. A TrialWatch Fairness Report on his case is currently being prepared.
Askhat Zheksebaev, a 47-year-old opposition activist from Kazakhstan, was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison for peaceful social media posts and private messages in support of an opposition party. His sentence was later commuted to a suspended sentence but he was banned from public activism, had his assets frozen, and was subject to severe restrictions on movement....
Kyrgyzstan: Rights Activist Freed to Seek Asylum
Askhat Zheksebaev, a 47-year-old opposition activist from Kazakhstan, was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison for peaceful social media posts and private messages in support of an opposition party. His sentence was later commuted to a suspended sentence but he was banned from public activism, had his assets frozen, and was subject to severe restrictions on movement. He subsequently fled to Kyrgyzstan, where he was arrested and detained.
After, TrialWatch published a Fairness Report on Zheksebaev’s trial , giving it a D, and sent a communication to the Kyrgyz government about the potential consequences he might face on returning to Kazakhstan, a Kyrgyz court released him so that he could seek asylum.
Before Zheksebaev fled the Kazakh authorities had a stranglehold on all aspects of his life, severely restricting his travel, his access to bank accounts, and his posts on social media.
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