Wednesday, 22 July 2009
According to the press-service of Internal Affairs Ministry of Kyrgyzstan, several officers of Nookat local police precinct were fired due to the death of journalist Almaz Tashiev that came as the result of injuries, caused by police officer.
By the decree of the Minister the Head of Nookat local police precinct, his two deputies and district inspector had to leave the office. The criminal case has been filed against sub-lieutenant Shukur Nurmatov that assaulted the journalist.
IAM press-release indicates that "on July 4, 2009 going beyond his commission, at 5pm Nurmatov attacked Almazbek Tashiev, the resident of Jany-Korgon Isvan village district of Nookat rayon. As a result, the victim was delivered to the Nookat rayon hospital. On July 10, 2009 Tashiev was transferred to neurosurgery department of Osh oblast hospital where he passed away after surgery on July 12".
The investigation revealed that on July 4 at about 4pm the district inspector, tipsy sub-lieutenant Nurmatov and duty inspector, sub-lieutenant Batyrbek uulu came across drunken Almaz Tashiev and Rustam Kulushev nearby Bereke café. There was a verbal fight between Nurmatov and Tashiev and the inspectors took the strangers to police office.
Later on Nurmatov and Tashiev started the fight; as a result, Tashiev had hematoma of eyes and injured lib. The officers in the local police station did not take appropriate measures for stopping the fight, providing medical assistance to Tashiev as well as filing the protocol about administrative offense. The police captain Osmonov, arriving in the place, assigned the district inspector Abylkasymov to report administrative data and deliver Tashiev to internal affairs office of Nookat rayon. Mr. Abylkasymov ignored the order and, referring to urgent call in his village district, left the office. On July 5, 2009 Mr. Tashiev was delivered to the Nookat rayon hospital at around 9.30am with body injuries.
At the same day, Nurmatov visited Tashiev in the hospital, where (under the pressure of relatives) signed the acknowledgement that, being tipsy, he assaulted Tashiev and obliges to pay for his medication and treatment. The total cost of the treatment reached 12 000 som. It was impossible to interview Tashiev in the period of July 5-9 since he was senseless.
The major Osmonov and district police officer Nurmatov reported the case of Tashiev to the Head of Nookat rayon internal affairs department colonel Atambaev on July 8, 2009. Atambaev did not give serious consideration to the case and only on July 13, after the death of Tashiev, he directed special message to Internal Affairs Ministry of Kyrgyz Republic. It has to be underlined that in the period of July 5-13 the administration of Nookat rayon internal affairs department did nothing to identify the person, which assaulted Tashiev.
IAM press-service also notes that on July 14, 2009 Mr. Nurmatov was fired from the office.
In the last year there were six attacks on journalists in Kyrgyzstan. The investigation of Tashiev's case is the second affair that produced certain results. It is also important to remind that the murder of journalist Alisher Saipov in 2007 still remains uninvestigated.
