Bektur Asanov, a Kyrgyz opposition politician unlawfully imprisoned as part of the Kempirabad defenders committee has suffered injuries after slipping and falling in the prison shower in pre-trial detention center (SIZO-1) in Bishkek. He suffered serious head injuries and his neck vertebrae were damaged.
So far only an MRI scan was done, but it is not known when Asanov will be admitted to the hospital where he will be able to receive the necessary medical help. Relatives are worried that he may loose the use of his legs permanently. For the past ten days he has been only getting painkillers from the prison administration.
Today, a neurotraumatologist examined the condition of Bektur Asanov in the pre-trial detention center and said that he should be operated on two parts of the cervical spine as soon as possible. But he still is not yet transferred to the hospital.
We call on Kyrgyz authorities to adhere to Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners which require all sick prisoners who require specialist treatment to be be transferred to specialized institutions or to civil hospitals.
Bektur Asanov was first imprisoned during Almazbek Atambayev’s rule on fabricated charges under Articles 27-295 “Preparation for a violent seizure of power” and 27-341 “Preparation for the use of violence against a representative of the authorities” of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic due to his opposition activities. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2019 but was acquitted and released in 2021.
