On April 14, 2025, Rita Karasartova, a prominent Kyrgyz human rights defender, was detained without formal charges by authorities in the Chui region of Kyrgyzstan. This action follows a search of her home and the confiscation of several documents. Reports indicate that a criminal investigation has been launched under Article 278 of the Criminal Code, which pertains to mass riots .
Karasartova’s detention has drawn international condemnation. Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, described the move as an “alarming sign of deepening repression” and called for immediate clarity on the legal basis for Karasartova’s detention, access to adequate healthcare, and her unconditional release if detained solely for exercising her right to freedom of expression .
This development is part of a broader pattern of increasing repression against activists in Kyrgyzstan. In October 2022, Karasartova was among a group of women human rights defenders detained for peacefully opposing the transfer of the Kempir-Abad water reservoir to Uzbekistan. During their pre-trial detention, Karasartova and fellow activist Klara Sooronkulova staged a hunger strike to protest their detention conditions. In June 2024, the Pervomaisky District Court in Bishkek acquitted Karasartova and her colleagues, but the legal and personal challenges they faced continue to underscore the risks for human rights defenders in the region.
Amnesty International has initiated a petition demanding Karasartova’s immediate release from house arrest and the dropping of all charges against her, emphasizing the importance of protecting human rights and freedom of expression in Kyrgyzstan .
Bishkek City Hall, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Picture by Bakhrom Tursunov on Freepik
