Lately the issue of releasing Felix Kulov, imprisoned on reportedly fabricated and politically motivated charges of abuse of authority, has been actively raised in Kyrgyzstan. Members of the Ar-Namys party announced that in the beginning of June Kulov may request a conditional discharge and that he could be released from jail in June this year. There have also been sayings that Kulov is politically active and intends to participate in the presidential elections in 2005. In an interview to Deutsche Welle, the Deputy Chair of the Ar-Namys party Emil Aliev said that Kulov was to be released last year, but the authorities made sure that he would not be eligible for amnesty.

The April 15 march was announced to remind the authorities that it is time to release the jailed opposition leader. Two days before the march, the Republican Headquarters for the Release of Felix Kulov issued a statement inviting people to take part in the event. According to the authors of the statement, despite numerous protest actions, public hearings, hunger strikes and meetings that the representatives of Kyrgyz human rights organizations, political parties and civil society had organized in support of Kulov, the authorities did not do anything to fulfill their requirements. “Independent monitoring of the court sessions by human rights activists demonstrated that the judicial power in Kyrgyzstan, in defiance of the principle of impartiality and lawfulness, has fulfilled the wishes of the presidential administration and had an interest in isolating one of the prominent opponents of the current leadership”, says the statement.

The group of marchers in support of Kulov consisted of Emil Aliev of Ar-Namys party, Viktor Chernomorets of the Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan, Tolekan Ismailova of the Civil Society Against Corruption, human rights activists Topchubek Turgunaliev, Tursunbek Akun and others. The action also involved several dozen people from Kulov’s native village Baitik.

Marchers were detained as soon as they gathered for the march, altogether 18 people, including Emil Aliev, Viktor Chernomorets, Kulov’s 70 years old sister Jumagul Kulova, his brother Dias Kulov, Tolekan Ismailova and Aziza Abdrasulova of the Guild of Prisoners of consciousness. The case of the detainees was considered in the Pervomai rayon court of Bishkek the same day. The first three detainees were freed, 12 people were warned. By the court’s decision Tursunbek Akun, Tolekan Ismailova and Aziza Abdrasulova (although she was monitoring the event for a project on the public meetings law and was not participating) were fined with one thousand som (ca. 24$). Abdrasulova and Ismailova stated on 16 April, the detention and trial contradicted to the constitution and they would appeal to international organizations.

The head of the Bishkek city militia department Keneshbek Duishebaev claims that representatives of the law enforcement bodies acted according to the law. Duishebaev said that the day before the marchers had been warned of the illegality of their action. The judge, Esenjan Abylkasymov, also claimed that the detained people indeed broke the law. “They had attempted to hold a protest action without any permission and we are considering the case according to the law”, said Abylkasymov in an interview to RFE/RL correspondent.

Some deputies of the Kyrgyz parliament criticized the actions of the law enforcement bodies. In the opinion of the deputies of the Legislative Assembly of Jogorku Kenesh (Kyrgyz Parliament) Azimbek Beknazarov and Omurbek Tekebaev, the law enforcement bodies by detaining the marchers violated the citizens’ right to gather peacefully and hold meetings and protest actions. According to the parliamentarians, Kyrgyz citizens have the right to hold peaceful meetings and protest actions without any prior permission from the authorities.

The recent march in support of Kulov did not take place as it had been planned, but it did again remind people of Kulov’s case. The issue of releasing Kulov has been raised by the local activists as well as the international community constantly and this task has for years been the top priority of the Ar-Namys party. But the time when the jailed Kyrgyz opposition leader is going to be freed is still under a big question. The big question becomes even bigger as the time for next presidential and parliamentarian elections draws near, say local observers.