By: Jessica Ties
Impunity Watch, Asia

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan – Osmonjon Khalmurzaev, an ethnic Uzbek, died two days after his release from police custody during which time he was allegedly tortured in an attempt to extort money in exchange for his release.

According to the victim’s wife, Zulhomor, Khalmurzaev was taken from his home by three police officers dressed as civilians. The police officer’s did not show an arrest warrant and failed to tell his wife where Khalmurzaev would be taken.

After being returned home, Khalmurzaev told his wife that after arriving at the police station the police officers put a gas mask on him and beat him until he lost consciousness.

After regaining consciousness, he was told by the police that he would be framed as a participant in a violent ethnic clash that occurred last June unless he paid them 6,000 dollars. After the police agreed to accept only 680 dollars and the money was paid he was released to his wife and told that they would harm his family if he informed anybody of what had happened. Two days after his release he was taken to a hospital where he died.

A preliminary conclusion by a forensic expert stated that Khalmurzaev died as a result of a broken sternum that had caused one of his organs to rupture. Despite this finding, none of the policemen who had detained Khalmurzaev have been questioned or suspended from their work although local authorities have opened an investigation.

The attack at the Sanpa factory was part of an ethnic clash that took place last June. As a result of the clash more that 400 people were killed and many Uzbek neighborhoods were ruined. The Uzbek’s have been forbidden to rebuild their communities and have also become the victims of detention, torture and extortion at the hands of police who rarely face prosecution.

Human Rights Watch has recently documented six other cases in which police attempt to extort money from victims by threatening to frame the victim for a crime.

For more information, please see:

Eurasia Net – Kyrgyzstan Police Beat Another Uzbek to Death – 12 August 2011

The Telegraph – Human Rights Group Accuses Kyrgyz Police of Abuses Against Ethnic Uzbeks – 12 August 2011

Human rights watch – Kyrgyzstan: A Death Follows Police Torture – 11 August 2011