Eleven jailed Kyrgyz activists who are on trial along with 16 others who are under house arrest for their 2022 protest against a Kyrgyz-Uzbek border delimitation deal accused Judge Marat Sydykov on March 13 of violating their rights by repeatedly postponing hearings. The Birinchi Mai district court in Bishkek said illness among three of the defendants' lawyers was to blame for the delays. Earlier this week, hundreds rallied in Kyrgyzstan's three regions demanding the defendants' release. The activists were arrested in October 2022 after they protested the deal, which saw Kyrgyzstan hand over the territory of the Kempir-Abad water reservoir to Uzbekistan. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, click here.
Jailed Kyrgyz Border-Deal Protesters Criticize Judge For Trial Delays
Protesters rally against the deal in Bishkek in March 2023