Kyrgyz activist Askat Jetigen, who is on trial on a charge of calling for mass unrest which he rejects as politically motivated, said in a courtroom on May 23 that police tortured him with an electric shocker for one hour after his arrest on March 20. The chief of the State Center To Prevent Torture, Bakyt Rysbekov, confirmed that his entity is investigating a claim filed by Jetigen with the agency in early April. Jetigen, who is known for his criticism of Kyrgyzstan's government, was arrested days after his last video criticizing reforms by the Culture Ministry was posted online. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, click here.
Kyrgyz Activist On Trial Says He Was Tortured While In Detention
Askat Jetigen sits in a defendants' cage in a courtroom on May 23.