Head of bordering village taken captive by Tajiks tells about torture

AKIPRESS.COM - Myrzabek Jumabaev, head of the village Internatsional in the Leilek district of Batken region, told about torture by the Tajiks who took 10 Kyrgyz nationals captive during the armed conflict. Jumabaev was taken captive on April 30. "On April 29, at night around 11 p.m. we received information that 1-2 houses were set on fire in the village of Internatsional. Before that, we evacuated the locals and almost no one left in the village. We couldn't go there immediately that night because it was dangerous, we received information that two people who went there were shot. The next morning around 09:00-09:30, I arrived in the village and saw about 10 Kyrgyz men hiding there. I asked them what was going on there, they said that Tajik snipers were shooting at them from Maksat village. I told them to stay where they were and decided to go alone because I didn't want to be responsible if someone's son would get killed. It turned out that the Tajiks occupied Kyrgyz houses farther in the village. They stopped me, grabbed me and took me away. They tied my legs, hands and eyes. They beat me up and said something in Tajik. I understand their language a little bit, but not very much. They made me sit on a concrete," Jumabaev said.
9 others were taken captive together with him. "Before me, 5 of my fellow villagers and 3 from other villages turned out to be already in captivity. All of us were blindfolded, no one saw each other. We only heard each other screaming we they were beating us up," said the head of the village.
On the day of their release from captivity, the Tajiks gave them food and told them to take a shower. "They told us "See, we gave you tea." Apparently they wanted us not to tell bad things after handing us over to the Kyrgyz side," he said.
He added that he spent 5 days in the hospital. He was beaten on his face, ear, kidneys, and back using different things.
5 Kyrgyz who were taken prisoner before him were doused with cold water and beaten for 6 hours without interruption. They are hospitalized now.
Jumabaev and others were released from captivity after negotiations. At the border, they were met by Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Kyrgyzstan Suyun Omurzakov and Major General Ibrohimzoda Nozim, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Tajikistan.