Justice - The Times Of Central Asia

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Assault on Teacher by Parent in Tajikistan

History teacher Faizikhan Rajabova of School No. 8 in Vahdat city, Tajikistan, was attacked on October 5, on the eve of Teachers Day. She stated on social media that she was beaten by one of her students' parents in the classroom in front of the children, following her complaint to the school's director about the disruptive behavior of the student. As a result of the attack, she was hospitalized in Vahdat Hospital. In response to her appeal to Dushanbe Mayor Rustam Emomali to take action in the case, Tajikistan's Ministry of Education and Science said that an investigation is underway with the relevant bodies. Additional information will be provided once it is finalized. This case is not unique. In September 2024, student Bekhzod Nazarov was detained in Dushanbe for assaulting a teacher, and in Bokhtar, two young men were arrested for beating up a teacher. Criminal cases have been opened against the attackers under the article “hooliganism.” At a meeting with educators, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon expressed concern about such incidents and ordered the development of a law to raise the status of teachers in society. He said that respect for teachers is vital to the nation's future, and measures should be taken to improve their working conditions and role in society.

World Justice Project: Kazakhstan Leads, Uzbekistan Improves, Kyrgyzstan Drops

The World Justice Project has announced the 2023 ranking of countries based on the rule of law. The ranking is based on eight indicators across 142 countries, which include constraints on government powers, the absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory enforcement, civil justice, and criminal justice. Denmark, Norway, and Finland occupy the highest places on the list. Kazakhstan has the highest score among the countries of Central Asia, placing in 65th. The country's ranking in terms of corruption, order and security, and civil justice all improved. Uzbekistan placed in 78th, with its indicators for order and security particularly high; the state is listed 17th in this category, with indicators for the absence of corruption also positive. Both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have improved their ranking by 2 points compared to last year. Kyrgyzstan, meanwhile, dropped one place to 103rd, whilst Tajikistan and Turkmenistan are not included in the rankings.

Former Prosecutor General Beknazarov Detained in Kyrgyzstan

A former member of the Provisional Government and former Prosecutor General, Azimbek Beknazarov, has been detained in Kyrgyzstan. The State Committee for National Security (SCNS) said he is suspected of embezzling significant sums of money. The money in question was seized in April 2010 from bank boxes and the Government House during the revolutionary events. The investigation found that Beknazarov, then a member of the Provisional Government, was involved in the theft of these funds through the purchase of expensive real estate in Kyrgyzstan, including in Issyk-Kul, Bishkek, and the Chui and Jalal-Abad regions. “On September 12, 2024, A. Beknazarov was detained and placed in the temporary detention facility of the SIZO of the SCNS KR on suspicion of committing a crime under Article 222 part 3 p.3 of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic (Legalization, laundering of criminal proceeds in large amounts),” the SCNS said in a statement. According to the investigation, the funds were allegedly seized from several bank boxes with the permission of the Bishkek prosecutor. At that time, $21 million belonged to President Kurmanbek Bakiyev's cronies. These funds were transferred to the National Bank for safekeeping. However, according to unconfirmed reports, the seized funds may have reached $100 million, which led to rumors that some money did not get into the vault. Azimbek Beknazarov is one of the key figures in Kyrgyz political life. He served as Prosecutor General and Deputy Prime Minister of Roza Otunbayeva's interim government from 2005 to 2010. Beknazarov was also actively involved in the coups d'état of 2005 and 2010, for which he was nicknamed “the bulldozer of revolutions.” The politician was also among the defendants in the “Kempir-Abad case”, in which he was acquitted in June 2024 with his associates.

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Tokayev Pardons Chinese Scholar Konstantin Syroezhkin

The Kazakh political analyst Andrei Chebotaryov has announced on his Telegram channel that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has pardoned a scholar of Chinese studies, Konstantin Syroezhkin, who was convicted of treason in 2019. “On the proposal of the Commission on pardon issues under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the head of state Kassym-Jomart Tokayev pardoned the doctor of political sciences and professor Konstantin Syroezhkin by an appropriate decree. In this regard, his criminal record was removed, and his rights were restored. In general, justice has triumphed! I wish our colleague and mentor good health and new scientific achievements!”, Chebotaryov shared. Syroezhkin was arrested in February 2019 in a criminal case of high treason. The case caused widespread outrage, especially in scientific circles. At the same time, little is known about it. The trial was closed, and the circumstances of the case were not disclosed. In October 2019, Konstantin Syroezhkin was found guilty of high treason and sentenced to 10 years in prison by the specialized inter-district criminal court of Almaty. In April 2024, the appellate panel granted Syroezhkin's appeal and released him on parole with probation supervision for the remaining term of four years, five months, and 22 days. The board concluded that Syroezhkin's exemplary behavior, conscientious attitude to work, and participation in prison life proved he did not need to serve the entire sentence. Syroezhkin has been engaged in Oriental studies for many years and has had a long academic career in Kazakhstan. Earlier, he worked at the Institute of Uyghur Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR and at Kazakhstan's Center of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences. During the investigation that ended his career, Syroezhkin was chief scientific officer of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies, from 2006 to 2019. Among his significant works are such studies as “Modern Xinjiang and its Place in Kazakhstan-China Relations,” “Kazakhstan-China: From cross-border Cooperation to Strategic Partnership,” and “Should Kazakhstan be Afraid of China: Myths and Phobias.” He has also researched the life of Kazakhs in China, which became his work “Kazakhs in China: Sketches of Socio-Economic and Cultural Development.” It is worth noting that other well-known scientists have also been convicted in Kazakhstan. For example, in 2011, the leader of the country's Sufi community and a Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Sayat Ibrayev, was sentenced to 12 years in prison on charges of “organizing a criminal group.” The same year, he was nominated in absentia for the Alikhan Bukeikhanov Award of the Union of Journalists of Kazakhstan.

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Kyrgyzstan Adds First Three Organizations to List of Foreign Agents

The Kyrgyz Ministry of Justice has posted a list of non-profit organizations that have been given the status of “foreign agent”. On August 27 the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan adopted a decree “On non-profit organizations”. The new law came into force on September 9, since when any NPO engaged in political activities and receiving funding from abroad must apply for inclusion as a foreign agent. The first three organizations to declare themselves as "foreign agents" are the Eurasian Club association of entrepreneurs, the business association JIA, and a branch of the environmental organization Fauna and Flora International. “Applications shall be submitted to the authorized body to maintain the register of NPOs within two months from the date of entry into force of this decree,” the Ministry of Justice explained to The Times of Central Asia. After receiving an application, the ministry has 60 days to verify the information provided. The law stipulates that foreign agent status can be removed if an organization has not received funds or property from foreign sources in the past 12 calendar months, or if it has not been engaged in political activity in the past 12 months. Kyrgyzstan's president Sadyr Japarov has promised the public that the authorities would not prosecute foreign agents and their representatives. “I, as head of state, guarantee that there will be no persecution. We are not a nuclear country. We are not going to fly into space yet. Our state has no secrets to hide from you and your donors,” Japarov said earlier this year.

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Turkmenistan Continues to Hide Forced Labor in Cotton Fields

Although the season has yet to officially open, cotton harvesting is already underway in Turkmenistan. As reported by Azatlyk correspondents, workers, including budgetary employees in the Lebap province, are being watched by Ministry of National Security (MNS) officers. These officers, tasked with preventing information about forced labor being leaked, have forbidden the use of cell phones in the fields. Turkmenistan has long been criticized for its use of forced labor on cotton plantations, and authorities continue to hide the reality. The increased control by security agencies coincides with a briefing in Ashgabat on measures discussed in collaboration with the International Labor Organization (ILO), to eradicate child and forced labor. Despite official bans, including an order issued by Labor Minister Muhammetseyit Sylabov in July this year prohibiting the employment of children under 18, child labor continues in some regions, including Kerki and Chardjev etraps, and teachers confirm that high school students, with their parents' consent, participate in cotton picking. At the same time, cotton pickers complain about underpayment. Employers also repeatedly renege on promised rates of pay and in Lebap, citing the poor quality of the cotton harvested, are known to withhold up to 50% of their workers' salaries, leading to inevitable conflict. Despite orders issued by the authorities to increase pickers' wages in accordance with the state's procurement prices for cotton, the workers' situation shows no sign of improving.