Ombudsman of Kyrgyzstan considers that Traffic Police officers’ firing for meeting at GKNB building contradicts Constitution

Ombudsman of Kyrgyzstan considers that Traffic Police officers’ firing for meeting at GKNB (State National Security Service) building contradicts Constitution, reports Ombudsman’s press service.

On March 13, 2012 a group of Traffic Police Officers sent a letter to the ombudsman. They said in the letter that they disagree with firing. The letter was put under control and in accordance with the ombudsman’s order a commission was established. The commission examined the situation and concluded that the reason of firing is the meeting at GKNB building. Y. Sarkulov, N. Moldogaziev, A. Sarbagashev and M. Sydygaliev were responsible for this..

“As written in MIA (Internal Affairs Ministry) Disciplinary Code, firing is a harsh punishment and can be used for systematic or rude violation. Before it, such measures like warning on professional misfit, reduction or dismissal,” consider the ombudsman Tursunbek Akun.

He stresses that regulations don’t contain a definitions of meeting and protest. “In case with it, there is no exact regulation of protests. According Traffic Police Main Department officers, they just wanted to get information about his colleague (A. Eshebaev) death and express condolences to his relatives,” said in the message.

According Constitution “everyone has a right for freedom of expression, freedom of speech and mass media” and also “to seek, obtain, use and preserve information and spread it in written and oral form”. Apart from it the Article 34 of Constitution guarantees peaceful meetings. “The commission decided that decree and orders on firing of Y. Sarkulov, N. Moldogaziev, A. Sarbagashev and M. Sydygaliev contradict Constitution regulations and the Law on MIA,” notes the ombudsman.