Samat Matsakov (Kyrgyz: Самат Матцаков) is a Kyrgyzstani human rights lawyer who became known for his defence of various activists, including the akyn Askat Zhetigen, the opposition politician Imamidin Tashov, and several journalists working for the investigative media outlet Temirov Live.
After qualifying as a lawyer, Matsakov became known for representing detainees who had been accused of "inciting civil unrest", in addition to people who alleged torture by agents of the State Committee for National Security (UKMK).
[2][3][4][5] Matsakov also represented the akyn Askat Zhetigen, who was arrested after criticising Sadyr Japarov, the President of Kyrgyzstan, on social media, and who was sentenced to three years imprisonment in July.
[2][8][9] On 29 November 2024, Matsakov's home was raided, and he was arrested and subsequently charged with fraud on a large scale in addition to false documentation, under articles 209 and 379 of Kyrgyzstan's criminal code.
[11] On 4 December, a press conference held by several prominent lawyers called publicly for Matsakov's immediate release, describing the charges against him as being "politically motivated" and representing a larger threat to the integrity of the Kyrgyzstani legal and judicial systems.