AKIPRESS.COM - The Committee to Protect Journalists, an independent international press freedom organization, wrote a request to German Chancellor Angela Merkel to use her upcoming visit to Kyrgyzstan to put press freedom on the agenda during meetings with government officials.

"Specifically, we ask that you publicly urge Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev to abide by the UN Human Rights Committee decision that Azimzhan Askarov, a journalist and human rights defender who was sentenced to life in prison in September 2010, be released immediately," the statement says.

CPJ, along with other press freedom and human rights groups, has thoroughly reported on Askarov's case, documenting numerous procedural violations, including a judicial process marred by torture, lack of evidence, an unfair trial, and the retaliatory nature of the charges used to imprison him. Askarov, who had been investigating claims of police misconduct, was convicted on charges including incitement to ethnic hatred and complicity in the killing of a local policeman. He was denied an appeal. The journalist's lawyers sought redress from the UN Human Rights Committee. In April 2016, following a three-and-a-half year review of the case, the UN committee concurred with our findings and ruled that Kyrgyzstan should immediately release Askarov, quash his conviction, and provide him with adequate compensation.

According to the UN committee's ruling and CPJ research, Askarov's release would be in line with Kyrgyzstan's commitments under Article 2 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, article 41.2 of the Kyrgyz Constitution, and its obligations before the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, in which Germany currently holds the chairmanship.

"Madam Chancellor, CPJ values your previous discussion of Askarov's case with the Kyrgyz officials, and we ask that you use all the resources available to your office, both within the German government and the OSCE chairmanship, to seek his immediate and unconditional release," the statement ends.

Merkel is scheduled to make an official visit to Kyrgyzstan on July 13-14 at the invitation of President Almazbek Atambayev. The sides will discuss a broad range of bilateral cooperation issues.