Kyrgyzstan: Human rights defender unlawfully detained

On April 14, 2025, law enforcement raided the home of Rita Karasartova in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Rita is a well-known human rights defender and civic governance expert. Authorities arrested her and charged her with allegedly inciting unrest under Article 278(3) of the Criminal Code—a charge she strongly denies.

Just days later, on April 17, a court extended her pre-trial detention until May 12. Disturbingly, the hearing took place at night and involved serious procedural violations. Despite this, her detention was extended again at a hearing on May 30. She is now being held at a pre-trial detention center until at least June 12.

Rita Karasartova’s detention raises serious concerns about the targeting of human rights defenders and fair trial standards in Kyrgyzstan.

Here’s what you can do:

Write to the Head of the Bishkek city prosecutor’s office urging him to:

• Take all necessary steps to ensure Rita Karasartova’s immediate and unconditional release.
• Drop all charges against her.
• Guarantee her right to continue her human rights work without undue restrictions.

Arrest and charges

Rita Karasartova is a respected human rights defender and civic governance expert in Kyrgyzstan. She leads the Institute for Public Analysis, a non-governmental organization, and is part of the United Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan.

On the evening of April 14, 2025, law enforcement officers raided her home in Bishkek. Witnesses say 12 officers took part—three of them were masked and armed. They seized electronic devices and documents. She was taken in for questioning and held in a temporary detention center for 48 hours.

The arrest happened soon after she shared a Facebook post featuring a letter from exiled activist Tilekmat Kurenov. He had gone missing in the United Arab Emirates and is believed to have been forcibly disappeared.

She is now charged under Article 278(3) of the Criminal Code for allegedly calling for mass unrest and violence. She denies the accusations and says they are completely fabricated.

Detention and procedural violations

On April 17, a court ordered her to stay in pre-trial detention until May 12. The hearing was held late at night, between April 16 and 17, and was full of procedural problems.

The judge refused to provide all required legal documents to her defense team. She was also not given access to a Kyrgyz interpreter. The judge admitted some violations took place but still ruled that the detention was justified.

Another hearing on April 30 extended her detention again—this time until at least June 12.

Past targeting and ongoing legal pressure

This is not the first time she has been targeted for her activism. On October 23, 2022, she was arrested with other activists and politicians who had demanded transparency around a border agreement with Uzbekistan. The deal would have given away control of the Kempir-Abad (Andizhan) reservoir.

She was jailed for months in a cramped cell and kept from seeing or speaking to her family. Later, she was moved to house arrest. Authorities charged her with trying to violently overthrow the government—a charge that carried up to 20 years in prison.

On June 14, 2024, a court in Bishkek acquitted all 22 people involved in that case, including her. However, the prosecutor’s office appealed the decision, and that appeal is still in progress.

She was featured in Amnesty International’s Write for Rights campaign in 2023, highlighting her ongoing struggle for justice.

Please take action as soon as possible until June 16, 2025. The UA will be duly updated should there be the need for further action.