Eurasianet says at least a dozen activists and politicians in Kyrgyzstan have been detained in what their supporters say is a reprisal for their opposition to a government plan to hand over the territory of Kempir-Abad water reservoir to Uzbekistan as part of a border demarcation agreement.
Demonstrators reportedly held a picket in the evening on October 23 to demand the release of the arrested people and an end to political persecution.
According to Eurasianet, the day began with police searches of the homes of multiple members of a newly created group dubbed the Committee for the Protection of Kempir-Abad. Many of the people targeted in this way. Opposition politician Ravshan Jeenbekov, former judge Klara Sooronkulova, and rights activist Rita Karasartova were later placed under arrest for 48 hours.
The Interior Ministry has said that the detained individuals are suspected of plotting to organize mass unrest.
The searches reportedly come as Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are expected to sign a border-delimitation agreement to resolve all land disputes between the two countries.
According to a draft of the agreement, Kyrgyzstan will hand over the territory of the Kempir-Abad water reservoir covering 4,485 hectares to Uzbekistan in exchange for over 19,000 hectares elsewhere.
The reservoir, which was built in 1983, is located in the fertile Ferghana Valley and represents a vital regional water source.
According to a draft of the agreement, Kyrgyzstan will hand over the territory of the Kempir-Abad water reservoir covering 4,485 hectares to Uzbekistan in exchange for over 19,000 hectares elsewhere.
“For a start, we are not giving away Kempir-Abad,” President Sadyr Japarov told state-run news agency Kabar in an interview on October 22. “On the contrary, we are getting it back. Now we have decided to create a 50-50 joint venture and we will manage the dam together.”
Radio Liberty’s Kyrgyz Servicer says Japarov took specific aim at the opponents of the border agreement, calling them “provocateurs.”
Kyrgyz president claimed that 99 percent of the population supports the agreement. He noted that he knows who is behind the rallies and processions.
Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan share a border that is more than 1,300-kilometers long.
