URGENT ACTION

DEMAND RELEASE OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER
Rita Karasartova, a human rights defender and civic governance expert in Kyrgyzstan, has been detained since 14 April 2025 after law enforcement raided her home in Bishkek. On 8 July 2025, she was officially charged under two criminal articles: “Organizing mass riots” and “Public calls for the violent seizure of power”. The investigator has ‘classified’ all the materials of this criminal case, so the trial will be held behind closed doors, thereby excluding journalists and the public. She must be released immediately.

TAKE ACTION: WRITE AN APPEAL IN YOUR OWN WORDS OR USE THIS MODEL LETTER

Head of the Bishkek city prosecutor’s office 
Kanat Jumaliyevich Nasipov 

T. Abdymomunov St., 276 
Bishkek 
720033 
Kyrgyz Republic 
 
e-mail: bishkek@prokuror.kg

Dear Kanat Jumaliyevich,

I am writing to express my deep concern about the detention of human rights defender Rita Karasartova.

Rita was detained on 14 April 2025 after a search of her home and has remained in detention since then. On 8 July 2025 the investigation was completed and she was officially charged under two criminal articles: “Organizing mass riots” (Article 278) and “Public calls for the violent seizure of power” (Article 327). The investigator has classified all materials of the criminal case, allegedly due to the presence of sensitive political information, meaning her trial is closed to the media, public and independent observers.

Such secrecy violates the international right to a fair trial, which includes the right to a public hearing (the overarching right to a fair and public hearing by a competent, independent, and impartial tribunal established by law is encompassed within Article 14(1) of the ICCPR). Moreover, a closed trial increases the risk of procedural violations.

Rita should not have been detained in the first place and now she is being subject to an unfair trial.

I urge you to uphold Kyrgyzstan’s international human rights obligations and to ensure Rita Karasartova’s immediate release, and pending her release take all necessary steps to ensure that her trial is fair, open for public, and free of any violations.
 
Yours sincerely,

Additional information

Rita Karasartova is a human rights defender and expert in civic governance from Kyrgyzstan. She leads the non-governmental Institute for Public Analysis and is a member of the United Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan.
On the evening of 14 April 2025, law enforcement officers conducted a search of Rita Karasartova’s home in Bishkek. According to eyewitnesses, a group of 12 officers – three of whom were masked and armed – confiscated electronic equipment and documents. Rita Karasartova was taken to police headquarters for questioning and subsequently placed in a temporary detention facility for 48 hours. The search and arrest occurred shortly after she shared a letter on her Facebook page from exiled Kyrgyzstani activist Tilekmat Kurenov, a civil society activist, who at the time was presumed forcibly disappeared in the United Arab Emirates.

On 17 April, during a court hearing, it was announced that Rita Karasartova would remain in pre-trial detention. The hearing was conducted with serious procedural violations. The judge did not provide all required procedural documents to the defence and did not allow Rita Karasartova a Kyrgyz interpreter. The judge stated that “procedural violations were committed during her detention, but the detention itself was justified. The court hearing was also held late at night, between 16 and 17 April. 
On 8 July 2025, the investigation into Rita Karasartova’s case was completed, and she was officially charged under two criminal articles: “Organizing mass riots” (Article 278) and “Public calls for the violent seizure of power” (Article 327). The investigator has classified all materials of the criminal case, so the trial will be held behind closed doors, denying access for journalists and the public to observe the proceedings, which is a blatant violation of right to a fair trial, including the right to a public hearing.
Rita Karasartova was previously arrested on 23 October 2022 along with other activists and politicians who demanded transparency for a new border demarcation agreement with Uzbekistan that would cede control of the Kempir-Abad (Andizhan) fresh-water reservoir to Uzbekistan. She spent months detained in a cramped cell, unable to see or speak to her family, and was later placed under house arrest. She was charged with attempting to “violently overthrow the government” and faced 20 years’ imprisonment.
On 14 June 2024, a court in Bishkek, acquitted 22 defendants in the Kempir-Abad case, including Rita Karasartova. The Kyrgyzstani prosecutor's office filed an appeal against the acquittal and appeal proceedings are ongoing. The court's decision may yet change.
Rita Karasartova was featured in Amnesty International’s Write for Rights 2023 campaign. 
PREFERRED LANGUAGE TO ADDRESS TARGET: Kyrgyz, Russian
You can also write in your own language.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: 8 September 2025
Please check with the Amnesty office in your country if you wish to send appeals after the deadline.

NAME AND PRONOUN: Rita Karasartova (she/her)

LINK TO PREVIOUS UA: Kyrgyzstan: Prominent human rights defender detained: Rita Karasartova - Amnesty International

Additional TARGETS

His Excellency Mr Ulan Djusupov
Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary   
Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic 
Ascot House 119 Crawford Street W1U 6BJ 
020 3865 1994 
kgembassy.uk@mfa.gov.kg 
https://mfa.gov.kg/ru/dm/vb 
Monday-Friday 09.00-18.00
Salutation: Your Excellency