Individuals should never be imprisoned for peaceful activism. I urge Central Asian leaders to release prisoners held for these legitimate acts, including cases across #Kazakhstan, #Kyrgyzstan, #Tajikistan, #Turkmenistan & #Uzbekistan. The #COVID19 prison risk raises the stakes.
Aset Abishev was arrested in Kazakhstan for posts in support of Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan movement. @freedomhouse cited his case as an example of Kazakhstan persecuting opposition parties. He has been punished for expressing concerns about prison conditions & #COVID19. 
Maks Bokayev was arrested in Kazakhstan for his work fighting for the environment, expression & against torture. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said his detention was based on his exercise of “freedom of expression & freedom of assembly.” He’s at high #COVID19 risk.
Azimjon Askarov is serving a life sentence in Kyrgyzstan on trumped up charges. @UNHumanRights found he had been “arbitrarily detained…tortured & mistreated, & prevented from adequately preparing his trial defence.” His health is deteriorating & he is at high #COVID19 risk.
Gulgeldy Annaniyazov has been detained in Turkmenistan since 2008, when he returned after living in Norway as a political refugee. He served 11 years for illegal entry into the country & faces 5 more. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention says his detention “is arbitrary.”
Omruzak Omarkulyev was arrested after creating an informal Turkmenistan students’ club while studying abroad in Turkey. He’s reportedly been sentenced to 20 yrs in prison on unknown charges. @freedomnoworg criticized the “lack of transparency & political motivation” in his case.
Iskandar Khudaiberganov has been serving a life sentence since 2002 for “terrorism,” “murder,” & “attempting to overthrow the constitutional order.” @HRW says his conviction was based on confessions obtained under torture and witness statements later retracted in court.
Akrom Malikov, a researcher at a university in Uzbekistan, was detained on extremism charges for allegedly writing articles for the opposition People’s Movement. He was convicted of plotting to overthrow the government. @HRW describes the charges as “politically-motivated.”
These 10 people have been unjustly detained for too long. Amid #COVID19, releasing them is an even more urgent issue. That’s why I, along with 11 of my Senate colleagues, sent letters to the Central Asian presidents urging them to release those detained for peaceful activism NOW.
