U.N.:Torture systemic in Kyrgyzstan

The new government in Kyrgyzstan needs to take measures to end impunity in cases of torture by law enforcement officials, a U.N. envoy said. Juan Mendez, U.N. special envoy on torture, provided a briefing following his recent trip to the central Asian country. Mendez said the aim of his visit was to investigate circumstances surrounding violence that followed an April 2010 coup, promote peace and reconciliation and ensure those responsible for the violence are held accountable. An April 2010 coup led former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev to flee to Belarus. Following the coup, at least 470 people were killed in ethnic conflicts near Osh and Jalal Abad. Mendez found that torture in the country was widespread and systemic. He said it was common and committed as a way to extract confessions from detainees by authorities working for the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs. "Almost all detainees indicated that they were subjected to mistreatment or beating since the moment of apprehension and delivery to a police station for the purpose of extraction of confessions by means of torture," he said in a statement. Bishkek, he added, needs to revamp its system by creating a justice system that meets international norms. His visit came at the invitation of Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev, who took office in November.