25/04/2016 (Agence Europe) - EU calls for the release of activist Azimjan Askarov. On Friday 22 April, the European Union called on the Kyrgyz Republic to immediately release the human rights and political activist and journalist, Azimjan Askarov, who has been imprisoned since 2010. On 21 April the UN Human Rights Committee concluded that Mr Askarov's human rights had been violated under a number of articles of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In light of this, the spokesperson for the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy expects the Kyrgyz Republic to fully implement the recommendations of the Human Rights Committee. The Committee therefore calls for the immediate release of this activist and the quashing of his sentence. It also believes that the prisoner was detained arbitrarily, in inhumane conditions, whilst being tortured and mistreated and that he was unable to prepare his defence at his trial appropriately. (CG)