“[The] petitions, signatures, and the huge number of letters that went to the court and the prosecutor’s office were all very powerful. They empowered us all. Every time I opened the envelopes and read the letters, I realized how powerful solidarity was.”
Rita Karasartova, Human Rights Activist in Kyrgyzstan
Rita Karasartova loves yoga, travelling and sewing traditional Kyrgyzstani jackets with her daughter. Worried about her people’s access to water, Rita peacefully opposed a border agreement giving control of a freshwater reservoir to Uzbekistan. She was charged with attempting to “violently overthrow the government” and faced 15 years’ imprisonment. After spending months detained in a cramped cell, unable to see or speak to her family, she was placed under house arrest. On June 14, 2024, she and 22 other human rights defenders were acquitted.
The charges against them were politically motivated, inconsistencies and procedural violations marred the case, and they endured long months of inhumane treatment, including lack of access to adequate medical treatment. In short, these people should never have been charged and put on trial in the first place for the peaceful exercise of their human rights.
**ACTION CLOSED**
Urge Kyrgyzstan to free Rita Karasartova
Write a letter to the General Prosecutor of Kyrgyzstan and demand Rita’s immediate release from house arrest, all charges against her dropped and that she can carry out
human rights activities without fear of retaliation.
BACKGROUND
Rita is a human rights defender and an expert in civic governance. For over a decade she dedicated her life to providing independent legal advice, helping people whose rights had been violated by a corrupt and unreliable legal system. She leads the non-governmental Institute for Public Analysis and is a member of the United Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan, fighting against poverty and injustice.
Alongside 26 others, Rita was arrested for opposing a new border agreement that gave Uzbekistan control of a freshwater reservoir. The group called for people to peacefully demonstrate against the agreement, demanding transparency from the government. Like others, Rita feared Uzbekistan would restrict or prohibit access to water, a scarce resource in the region where loss of access could have devastating consequences.
What drives a person? Dreams or fear? If we have a dream, then fears can be overcome.
Rita Karasartova
Rita and the others were initially detained for organizing “mass disorder”, and she was charged with attempting to “violently overthrow the government”, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment.
