Kyrgyzstan: Two Killed in Prison Riot

A prison officer and a member of personnel were killed by inmates on August 14 in prison number 16 in northern Kyrgyzstan. Special Forces have surrounded the prison where most of the inmates were convicted for grievous crimes. Deputy Justice Minister, Sergey Zubov, has arrived at the prison together with officials from the Main Department for Penitentiaries.

Sergey Zubov reassured “rioting is not an issue, the situation is under control.” He also added that only the Special Forces of the Department for Penitentiaries were sent to the site and prison’s authorities do not need additional support from the law enforcement agencies.

Press secretary of the Department for Penitentiaries, Sergey Sidorov, has reported that Kadyrbek Abdyshev, who was sentenced to a life-long imprisonment, attacked the two prison staff members and stabbed them with a knife.

The last incident in the prison occurred in March 2008 when 700 inmates refused to eat and some of them cut their veins.

Kyrgyz human rights activists have been continuously reporting about poor living conditions, red-tape and corruption in the prison system, which might lead to a serious prison riot. The International Committee for Red Cross also reported about dreadful living conditions and widespread malnutrition among inmates in Kyrgyz prisons.

Former head of the parliamentary committee for defense and security, Tynychbek Akmatbaev, and head of Department for Penitentiaries Izatulla Polotov, were killed in the same prison while trying to conduct negotiations with inmates.

Originally posted and written for: Ferghana.ru

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