Rita Karasartova, a human rights defender and civic governance expert in Kyrgyzstan, has been detained since 14 April 2025 after law enforcement raided her home in Bishkek. On 8 July 2025, she was officially charged under two criminal articles: “Organizing mass riots” and “Public calls for the violent seizure of power”. The investigator has ‘classified’ all the materials of this criminal case, so the trial will be held behind closed doors, thereby excluding journalists and the public. She must be released immediately.