Today, in the Leninsky District Court of Bishkek, a hearing was held regarding the case of activist Aftandil Zhorobekov. Linguistics expert Nurlan Sartpaev was questioned and based on his conclusion, the activist was arrested.
Details of the interrogation were shared by human rights defender Gulshaiyr Abdirasulova. According to her, the linguistics expert stated that writing a post about intending to hold a peaceful assembly is equivalent to spreading negativity, as peaceful assembly is considered negative wording.
The expert referenced comments on Zhorobekov's post where phrases like "let this authority go" were used, suggesting that the activist was negatively influencing people's minds. Zhorobekov's lawyer pointed out that the expert, being a linguist and not a psychologist, was not qualified to make such analyses.
Abdirasulova emphasized the concerning trend of experts assuming multiple roles and acting as judges in addition to linguists, psychologists, psychiatrists, sociologists, and religious scholars.
Furthermore, the expert claimed that a different recording was provided for analysis, not the one presented in court. The video shown during the hearing depicted Zhorobekov speaking about a peaceful gathering, not urging for a protest. The discrepancy raised questions about why the expert's report mentioned calls for a protest.
Sartpaev, the linguistics expert, clarified that his analysis was based on a different video and if he had seen the correct footage, his conclusion would have been different.
To recap, Aftandil Zhorobekov organized a peaceful rally in support of the flag. Despite facing obstacles from law enforcement, including a recent detention leading to his current incarceration, Zhorobekov remains committed to peaceful activism.
