Nineteen people are now on hunger strike in Kyrgyzstan, protesting their arrest in October for challenging a controversial border deal with Uzbekistan. Fifteen people joined hunger strikes launched earlier by four women. In all, 26 people were arrested for holding a rally in October protesting the border deal, which saw Kyrgyzstan hand over a disputed water reservoir to Uzbekistan last month. On December 16, the hunger-striking politicians and activists again urged Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov to release all those arrested in the case. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, click here.
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