Marat Baiazov: “Starving for an idea is an honor”

AUTHOR: ERKIN SADANBEKOV PUBLISHED DEC 23, 2022

On December 22, 2022, I visited the pre-trial detention center in Bishkek once again to meet
with the political prisoner Marat Baiazov who was illegally arrested by the investigating
authorities in the Kempir-Abad case.

The prisoner continues to hold a political hunger strike in protest against the arbitrariness of the
authorities.

The day before, Bermet Baryktabasova, an expert in the field of medicine, visited the pre-trial
detention center and met with some of the detainees, including Marat Baiazov, and noted that the
detainee’s health condition was relatively satisfactory, taking into account the hunger strike.
There were no complaints. The doctor gave a recommendation: to measure the weight and sugar
level, as he felt a sharp weight loss. In addition, Marat Baiazov was informed about the
consequences of the hunger strike.

Expert Baryktabasova noted that the medical unit of the pre-trial detention center has long
established interaction with general civil health care and has no restrictions on medical care.

Political prisoner Marat Baiazov wrote an appeal to the people: “Half of Kyrgyzstan suffers from
poverty and malnutrition without any idea. To starve for an idea is an honor.”

Erkin Sadanbekov, Lawyer