Once again, a hearing in the so-called Kemper-Abad case did not take place. The First of May Court's press service cited the absence of the accused and their lawyers as the reason. One of the lawyers requested a colleague's replacement, but the defendant refused. The presiding judge then raised the issue of proceeding without the absent lawyers. The court decided to continue without them, as the defendants disrupted the order and did not comply with the judge's instructions, leading to their removal from the courtroom.
The trial has been postponed to April 24. Earlier, Judge Marat Sydykov of the First of May District Court, overseeing the Kemper-Abad case, scheduled another day for hearings, which the lawyers and defendants contested. On October 22, 2022, the Kemper-Abad Reservoir Support Committee was formed, comprising activists, politicians, and parliamentarians. Mass arrests followed on October 23, with 27 individuals detained on charges of inciting mass disorder, leaving nine in custody.
Several international human rights organizations, including the International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR), the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT), the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC), the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFHR), and Freedom Now, have repeatedly called for the release of detained politicians and activists in Kyrgyzstan.
