Askat Zhetigen

Affiliated media: Blogger, Composer

Incident date: May 23, 2024

Attack type:

• Non-fatal attack / beating / injury / torture

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Аzattyk.org

Location: Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek

Additional information:

Blogger Askat Zhetigen said that after his detention and interrogation, he was electrocuted and beaten for an hour in the basement. He stated this at the hearing in the Pervomaisky District Court of Bishkek. «The masked people kicked me and demanded that I did not speak against the authorities and asked for forgiveness from them», — the blogger said. Zhetigen’s lawyer said that relevant statements on the fact of torture were sent to the National Centre for Torture and the Ombudsman Institute. The well-known blogger and composer was arrested in March this year in the Kochkor District of the Naryn Region in the central part of the country on suspicion of «calling for riots and violent seizure of power». A criminal case has been opened against him. The reason was a video published on his Facebook page, where he criticised president Sadyr Zhaparov’s latest interview. Since 2021, he has been posting various video messages criticising the actions of the authorities.