Kyrgyz Police Face Dismissal After Death Of Suspect

JALAL-ABAD, Kyrgyzstan — The Kyrgyz Interior Ministry has recommended firing seven police officers following the death of a Russian suspect beaten in a police station, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reports.

Kyrgyz Interior Ministry spokesman Rakhmatillo Akhmedov told RFE/RL that the ministry also recommended holding the leadership of the Jalal-Abad regional police department responsible for the incident, which occurred in Jalal-Abad’s Bazar-Korgon district.

Akhmedov added that thus far no action has been taken based on the recommendations.

A man named Usmanjan Kholmirzaev, a Russian citizen of Uzbek origin, reportedly died in a Jalal-Abad regional hospital on August 9. Officials gave his first name as Dadamirza in official statements on August 11.

On August 10, Talant Konokbaev, a spokesman for the prosecutor-general, told RFE/RL that Kholmirzaev was beaten by local police on August 7 while being questioned about the deadly clashes between local Uzbeks and Kyrgyz in June last year.

Kholmirzaev returned to his home in the Bazar-Korgon district later that day before being hospitalized on August 8.

Bazar-Korgon’s district prosecutor has launched an investigation into abuse of office and premeditated damage to a person’s health.

Jalal-Abad police department deputy chief Melis Sheraliev confirmed to RFE/RL that Kholmirzaev was brought to Bazar-Korgon’s police headquarters for questioning on August 7. He said the results of an ongoing investigation will clarify whether Kholmirzaev was beaten while in custody.

Read more in Kyrgyz here

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