Gender: Male
Current Location: Investigation Prison No. 5
Perpetrator: Kyrgyzstan
Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other
Sentence: 2 Years' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: October/18/2023
Date of Sentencing: February/26/2024
Current Status: Not Released
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Criticizing Religious Freedom Conditions Online Activity Protesting Religious Freedom Conditions Reporting on Religious Freedom Conditions or Documenting Religious Freedom Violations
Nature of Charges: Hate Speech
Mamirzhan Tashmatov
Extra Bio Info:
Mamirzhan Tashmatov is imprisoned for his criticism of religious freedom violations.
On July 21, 2023, Kyrgyz officials raided and closed the Al-Sarakhsi mosque in Kara-Suu district as part of a larger raid on Islamic institutions throughout Kyrgyzstan.
On July 27, 2023, Tashmatov, along with others, posted a video online protesting the closures. While the mosque was reopened the following day, Kyrgyz authorities began to prepare a criminal case against the video participants.
On October 18, 2023, authorities arrested Tashmatov and the other video participants.
On February 26, 2024, the Kara-Suu district court sentenced Tashmatov to two years in prison on charges of inciting discord through use of the internet (Art. 330-1 KCC).
Related Cases: Asadullo Madraimov
Sources:
- USCIRF Annual Report 2024: Kyrgyzstan
- USCIRF Commissioners Nury Turkel and Eric Ueland, Tweet, April 5, 2024
- "Kyrgyzstan: Two Muslim men jailed for mosque closure protest" Forum 18
Gender: Male
Current Location: Investigation Prison No. 5
Perpetrator: Kyrgyzstan
Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other
Sentence: 3 Years' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: October/18/2023
Date of Sentencing: February/26/2024
Current Status: Not Released
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Criticizing Religious Freedom Conditions Online Activity Protesting Religious Freedom Conditions
Nature of Charges: Hate Speech
Asadullo Madraimov
Extra Bio Info:
Asadullo Madraimov is imprisoned for his criticism of religious freedom violations.
On July 21, 2023, Kyrgyz officials raided and closed the Al-Sarakhsi mosque in Kara-Suu district as part of a larger raid on Islamic institutions throughout Kyrgyzstan.
On July 27, 2023, Madraimov, along with others, posted a video online protesting the closures. While the mosque was reopened the following day, Kyrgyz authorities began to prepare a criminal case against the video participants.
On October 18, 2023, authorities arrested Madraimov and the other video participants.
On February 26, 2024, the Kara-Suu district court sentenced Madraimov to three years in prison on charges of inciting discord through use of the internet (Criminal Code Article 330, Part 1).
Related Cases: Mamirzhan Tashmatov
Sources:
- Photo attributed to © Private CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 via Forum 18
- USCIRF Annual Report 2024: Kyrgyzstan
- USCIRF Commissioners Nury Turkel and Eric Ueland, Tweet, April 5, 2024
- "Kyrgyzstan: Two Muslim men jailed for mosque closure protest" Forum 18
Religious freedom conditions in Kyrgyzstan are worsening as the government increasingly enforces long existing legislation that restricts freedom of religion or belief. Under the authoritarian government of President Sadyr Japarov, Kyrgyz authorities are cracking down on Muslims who deviate from the state-sanctioned interpretation of Hanafi Sunni Islam by inspecting and closing independent Islamic institutions, detaining Yakin Inkar and Hizb ut-Tahrir members and forcing them to renounce their beliefs, and prosecuting those who criticize state policy on religion. The Kyrgyz government is also targeting non-Muslim groups, such as Catholics, Protestants, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and International Society for Krishna Consciousness devotees, by issuing fines, closing places of worship, limiting the import of religious materials, and restricting registration.