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OPEN LETTER Mr.Suvanbekov B. Mr.Abdyldaev M. Vienna, 30 April 2004 Dear Mr. Suvanbekov and Mr. Abdyldaev, The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights would like to draw your attention to the following incident that recently happened in Bishkek. On 24 April, Chingiz Sydykov, a 21-year old student of the Kyrgyz National University, who is a son of the journalist and chief editor of the newspaper "Respublica" Zamira Sydykova, was brutally beaten near Cafe Edem. Four unidentified adult men attacked the young man and beat him in front of his friends. As a result, Chingiz was seriously injured - the medical expert of the hospital where he was immediately brought, recorded a concussion, skull fractures in two places and a bad hematoma on the face. Zamira Sydykova believes that the deliberate attack against her son is directly connected with her recent March and April publications in "Respublica", in which she heavily criticized Interior Ministry officials, blaming them for extensive corruption, a high rate of unresolved cases, the use of torture as means of getting confessions from suspects and cooperation between law-enforcement structures and criminals. The investigation of the aforementioned case was suspended, since Ruslan Sharapov, an investigator, was a relative of one of the suspects. At the present moment, the case passed over to another investigator. The IHF asks for your attention to the beating of Chingiz Sydykov. We would ask you to conduct a full and thorough investigation of the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice. Sincerely, Aaron Rhodes, Cc: |
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