21.7.14

Uzbekistan: Human rights defender Chuyan Mamatkulov subjected to torture

 Human rights defender Chuyan Mamatkulov was beaten 20 times on the head with a baton and then was placed in a solitary confinement treated with chloramine. His life and health are at risk. Intervention by the international community is necessary.
State of Chuyan Mamatkulov’s health is alarming. He sustained a head injury as a result of blows to his head, he underwent a surgery. Mamatkulov is suffering from severe headaches for more than a month. During this time he was given only a few tablets of paracetamol, he is not under a medical observation.

Chuyan Mamatkulov previously had one of the bones of his skull removed, so he had a 2nd  group disability. Three weeks after his arrest, on 25 September 2012, under pressure from prosecutors and investigators, he was deprived of his disabiled status. For two years in prison Mamatkulov lost his teeth and began to suffer from pain in the lower back and legs, especially in cold weather.

In effect, an official of administration of the colony UYA 61/29 in Navoi Region is commiting extrajudicial killing. His real name and rank cannot be established, he calls himself Sherali.

Chuyan
MAMATKULOV
Chuyan MAMATKULOV was born on 15 January 1970 in the village of Kasan of the Kashkadarya region of Uzbekistan. He is married and has two young daughters.

Since 2004, he is a member of the Kashkadarya department of the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan - HRSU headed by Talib Yakubov.

In 2000 he was dismissed from the Armed Forces of Uzbekistan. Mamatkulov had four disciplinary actions taken against him and then he was fired. However, he was not afforded a chance to familiarise himself with the charges against him. Attempts to appeal this direct violation of the labor code failed. 

In 2005 Chuyan Mamatkulov was first to file a suit against the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov. He claimed that as supreme commander, on 9 October 1996, Karimov approved the disciplinary regulations of the armed forces of Uzbekistan and therefore, is directly responsible for the violation of the rights of servicemen. Mamatkulov’s position was supported by Uzbek human rights activists and independent journalists. A judicial authorities under various pretexts rejected his appeal. In this long lawsuit Mamatkulov took a principled stand.

On 29 August 2012 he was arrested.

On 8 February 2013, the Kashkadarya Regional Criminal Court sentenced him to 10 years of imprisonment. He was charged under Articles 137, part 2 subsections "b", "c" (Kidnapping); 138, part 1 (Forced false imprisonment); 159, part 1 (encroachment on the constitutional order of the Republic of Uzbekistan); 168, part 2, subsection "c" (fraud), 228, part 2, subsection "b" (Production, forgery of documents, stamps, seals, forms, and their sale or use); 238, part 3 (Perjury); 244 (manufacture or distribution of materials containing a threat to public security and public order). He is serving a sentence in the colony 64/29 in the Navoi region.

Chuyan Mamatkulov’s case requires urgent intervention of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and other international bodies.

It is urgent to:
 ensure the humane treatment of prisoners and stop Chuyanov Mamatkulov’s   torture;
 provide him with adequate medical care;
 reconsider his case before an independent and impartial Court

On 20 April 2014 Chuyan Mamatkulov tried to send another appeal of his case, this time to the chairman of the National Security Service, Rustam Inoyatov. This appeal was received by Asror Radjapov, chief of the Kashkadarya region security services the SNB. The human rights defender denies the accusations and says that they are brought by order of the authorities and describes all of the obstacles faced when trying to appeal the verdict.

Chuyan Mamatkulov is often tortured and forced to accept the accusation. He is beaten by not only members of the administration. There are also convicts who, on the instructions of the authorities, organise provocations against the political prisoners, or even perform contract killings.

Chuyan Mamatkulov’s last family visit was on 19 June 2014. Instead of a whole day, Mamatkulov and his wife were given only five hours for the meeting. According to his wife, his health is very poor. He is detained in conditions comparable to torture. Such moral and physical torture is particularly pernicious for a sick man as Mamatkulov.

The Association for Human Rights in Central Asia believes that, in respect Chuyan Mamatkulov, the following legal provisions are violated:
  • Тhe Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan, namely:
     — Article 26 – «No one may be subject to torture, violence or any other cruel or humiliating treatment»;
     — Article 29 – «Everyone shall be guaranteed freedom of thought, speech and convictions»;
  • International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, namely: 
     — Article 7 – «No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment»;
Article 19 – «1. Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference»;

  • Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognised Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
  • Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment:
   — Principle 1 – «All persons under any form of detention or imprisonment shall be treated in a humane manner and with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person»;
   — Principle 6 – «No person under any form of detention or imprisonment shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. No circumstance whatever may be invoked as a justification for torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment»;
   — Principle 21 – «1. It shall be prohibited to take undue advantage of the situation of a detained or imprisoned person for the purpose of compelling him to confess, to incriminate himself otherwise or to testify against any other person. 2. No detained person while being interrogated shall be subject to violence, threats or methods of interrogation which impair his capacity of decision or his judgement. <..> ».

The Association for Human Rights in Central Asia - AHRCA requests governments, international and intergovernmental organisations to urge the government of Uzbekistan to provide Chuyan Mamatkulov with emergency medical assistance, including the provision of access to a dentist. This appeal was also sent to:
 UN High Commissioner for Human Rights;
 UN Special Rapporteur on Torture;
 EU Special Rapporteur on the countries of Central Asia;
 EU special rapporteur on human rights;
 Governments of democratic countries;
 International human rights organisations.



10.7.14

Spain: a citizen of Tajikistan is under a threat of extradition

A hearing to consider a request to extradite a Tajik citizen Sharofiddin Gadoev to his country of origin is scheduled for 11 July 2014 in Spain.

On 2 February 2014 in Madrid, Gadoev was arrested by Spanish police following examination of his documents. He lives legally in Spain, in accordance with the administrative rules applicable to persons seeking international protection.

Sharofiddin Gadoev
Sharofiddin Gadoev was born on 19 May 1985 in the Farhor district of the Kurgan Tyube (now Khatlon) region of Tajikistan. He is a Tajik citizen. He has a law degree specialising in International Law. He is married and has a little daughter.

He is a member of the informal political opposition organisation "Group-24."

He previously worked as a general director of the company "Trans Gold Tour" (Tajikistan)

Sharofiddin Gadoev is known to the public as a critic of the political regime in Tajikistan. He repeatedly spoke openly of the facts of malpractice on the part of President Emomali Rahmon and the use of his official position by the president’s family..

Under the threat of violence against him and his loved ones Gadoev was forced to transfer a profitable business to the family of president Rahmon. Because of this conflict Gadoev had to leave for Russia.

A group of Tajik businessmen led by Umarali Kuvatov, including Sharofiddin Gadoev created a political organisation named "Group of 24" in Russia. Gadoev informed the public about the legal mechanisms to fight against the corruption that exists in the higher echelons of power in Tajikistan and the obligations of Tajikistan in the field of human rights protection.

Response to Sharofiddin Gadoev’s activities followed quickly. Tajik law enforcement agencies declared him wanted for alleged economic crimes. However, the analysis of these documents revealed many factual inconsistencies and violations of legal logic common to fabricated criminal charges.

In Tajikistan, practice of torture is widespread, the judiciary is subservient to the executive, any lawyer defending  a person representing the opposition finds his licenses withdrawn and even prosecuted on fabricated charges. Therefore, the forced return of Gadoev to his country of origin threatens his health, even his life and can easily turn into extrajudicial killing of him.

The Association for Human Rights in Central Asia urges Spain to fulfill obligations under the agreements it ratified:
  • United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, namely Article 3 of the Convention which prohibits the expulsion of persons to countries where they risk torture and ill-treatment;
  • Unated Nations Convention on the Status of Refugees;
  • International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
This information was sent to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.



Kyrgyzstan: 600 residents of the city of Osh saved their jobs. Is it going to last?


"Instructions" 
The Association for Human Rights in Central Asia is grateful to all those who showed their interest in information about closing of 53 Osh small businesses owned by ethnic Uzbeks.

On 9 June 2014 our organisation issued a press release, "Kyrgyzstan: discrimination against ethnic Uzbeks continues," which reported on the decision of the State Inspectorate of the Kyrgyz Republic for Environmental and Technical Safety to close 53 small enterprises owned by residents of the Navoi Street of the city of Osh. This is confirmed by a document entitled "Instructions" which was sent to each company on the list we published.

On 30 June 2014 the news agency "Ferghana.Ru" published an article "Small businesses owned by Uzbeks closed" based on the above press release.

On 3 July 2014 "Ferganu.Ru" received a letter from Dilmurod Shamshidinov, the Deputy Director of the Kyrgyz State Agency forLocal Government and Inter-Ethnic Relations. He said that some of these companies were closed due to lack of their respective owners permits.

But on 4 July 2014 the State Inspectorate for Environmental and Technical Safety which issued the above mentioned "Instructions" sent a letter to the "Ferghana.Ru" information agency which stated that the information about closure of 53 small businesses is wrong. The letter signed by T. Nurbashev, the director of this agency, claims that none of these 53 businesses are closed; their owners are instructed to obtain relevant permissions.  

The officials of the Osh City Hall threatened with massacre as in 2010 and forced many of the 53 small business owners to write a statement that they closed their businesses voluntarily because of beginning of Ramadan.

On 1 July 2014 our organisation received, via email, several messages with threats and accusations that pointing to the issue of discrimination of ethnic Uzbeks is inciting ethnic strife. Discussion of our press release on facebook helped to better understand the problem.

The participants who clearly live in the southern Kyrgyzstan explain that:

1. private enterprises mentioned in our press release are located in the Uzbek community part of the city and there are no other ethnic groups in this part of the city;

The city of Osh, destroyed bridge
2. Osh local government with the active support of the central authorities developed a master  plan for the development and construction of the city. It was decided to demolish the dilapidated old bridge and build a new one. The bridge occupies a significant portion the Navoi Street, where many buildings need to be demolished in order to rebuild the bridge. At present many part of the street are excavated. In Osh, there are only 2 bridges, one of them is located in Navoi Street, the second in Abdykadyrov street, the first is a road leading to Batken, Aravan and Fergana. It is very busy;

3. There were almost no companies in Navoi Street before; there were a former pump factory and numerous small cafes, shops selling DVD-drives, small shops that sell wholesale spirits and soft drinks. Authorities decided to replace the old bridge to build a large flyover from Masaliev street to Lenin street, this is a consequence of that and everyone is suffering. One needs to find out locally, why the entrepreneurs are not allowed to trade there. Osh has very active civic organisations headquarters, which includes leaders of many organisations, there are Russians, and Uzbeks and Kyrgyzs among them. We receive a lot of our information from them, and they do not give a respite to the authorities. There are enough problems in Osh, take for example that there is no gas supply in the city since 11 April. The life in the city is not easy; people learn to live on, there is no need to look for the ethnic implications.
* * *

The Navoi Street, 
where the Uzbek community quarters start
From the beginning we said that 53 companies are located on the Navoi Street. The Uzbek community lives in the quarter which begins from this street, which goes between the Railway Station and street crossing the Gapar Aitiev Street towards the hotel "Alai". In the stretch between the Pumping factory and the "Alai" hotel there really were not any businesses.

Owners of the 53 companies opened their business on private land. It was after 2010, after the restoration of property or in new buildings. And the construction of a new bridge from Masaliev street to Lenin street is irrelevant to the closure of these companies. The stretch of road in question contains only public buildings.

In 2010, under the guise of adoption of the new Master Plan of the city of Osh all these objects brought under the "red line". Authors of official replies are well aware that local authorities, referring to the general plan of the city, do not give permission for conversion. Authorities of the State Agency for Architecture, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Unified State Register of Static Units (automated data bank of all economic entities of the Kyrgyz Republic) reject the application for registration of enterprises in the Navoi, Lenin,  Masaliev streets and other areas within the city. This order is strictly enforced against ethnic Uzbeks. Such conditions allow employees of supervisory authorities to extort "fines" in favour of their pocket. In the Navoi Street there are only one pastry shop and a diner still working. Their owners, ethnic Uzbeks, paid a "fine" of $300 for the next month. The regional traffic police and border control officers whose organisation is located on this street usually eat in these diners.

The victims of extortions recognised that bribes are rising and profits do not always cover the costs. Those who do not meet the extortionists conditions, receive a "notification" of business closure. To re-register the company, which is located on the Navoi Street, it is necessary to change to a new address. These businesses use private homes as their business addresses which means that the owners would have to move from Navoi Street.

The Kyrgyz authorities offer ethnic Uzbeks, the owners of these companies, land on the outskirts of Osh, where such business is unprofitable. Thus, closure of these 53 small businesses is actually a way of depriving the Uzbeks, without compensation, of opportunity to work in the community. It is also driving the ethnic Uzbeks out of Osh, where they lived for many generations. Our organisation was able to obtain information only about 53 ethnic Uzbeks, whose businesses closed. In fact the number of people affected in the same way is far greater.

Meanwhile, the owner of the hotel "Crystal", Mukanbek Alykulov, former Member of Parliament of Kyrgyzstan, is developing his business in the Akbura Street, within the precincts of the construction of the new bridge. And they built the road zigzagged to avoid interrupting his business. Apparently, one can find a way out? As it turned out, one does not need to be a representative of the titular nation.

The street bypassing the “Crystal” hotel
The Hotel “Crystal”
Our partner in Osh said that on 9 July 2014 a TV crew was going around in Navoi Street and was preparing a report on the status of 53 small business owners. Moreover, the authorities suspended the closure of these enterprises and their activities are temporarily allowed. 600 residents of the street, for now, saved their jobs, which is important in mass unemployment. We hope that these companies will continue to work further. If the authorities radically change their approach to the problem of the most vulnerable groups, it would strengthen their hope for justice.





9.7.14

Kyrgyzstan: murder motivated by domestic nationalism

An ethnic Uzbek was killed in Osh after being dragged into a conflict by few men of Kyrgyz origin.

On 7 July 2014 it was reported that a man's body with signs of fatal injuries was given to his relatives. His body was kept in the Osh city morgue for two days.

The victim was identified to be Makhmudjan Nishanov. He was 38 years old. He is an ethnic Uzbek, lived in the Ablazhan Mavlyanov Street of the Shahit Tepe district of the Osh city.

The law enforcement authorities have arrested a man involved in the murder of Nishanov, but, according to our source in Osh, the crime was committed by a group of people.

According to eyewitnesses, Makhmudjan Nishanov sold pasta and cereals in the Osh farm market (previously called Central). Shortly before his death he was approached by 5 people of Kyrgyz origin, on the basis of domestic nationalism they started a conflict that escalated into a serious clash. Witnesses do not want to talk about what they know. What is known is that a man who was party to the conflict was arrested and he is in jail, and the others are declared wanted.

Our organisation observes ethnic Uzbeks believe that seeking protection of law enforcement agencies is useless. Usually such cases turn against them, masking the cause of inter-ethnic conflict. Uzbeks are bullied often on trump up charges against them.

The Association for Human Rights in Central Asia encourages prosecution and investigation agencies to work objectively and fairly in investigating this crime. We know that the publicity of such cases encourages the agents of the State National Security Committee of Kyrgyzstan to identify sources of information and to block their contact with the independent media and human rights organisations. But the safety of victims of inter-ethnic conflicts is provided very badly.


2.7.14

Uzbekistan: authorities are again trying to stifle a free voice

Chronicle of judgment on journalist and human rights activist Said Abdurahimov

Uzbek authorities are trying to crack down on independent journalist Said Abdurahimov. They collect personal information and addresses of all who express their solidarity with him.

Said Abdurahimov
Said Abdurahimov (pen name - Sid Yanyshev), was born on 17 June 1972. He is a journalist, writer and human rights activist. He works with "Ferghana.Ru", "16/12-TV", "Ozodlik" - Uzbek service of Radio "Liberty", the BBC and other.

Abdurahimov is a member of International PEN. His creative work can be found on his personal web page at "SidYanyshev".

He is a winner of the First Prize in the field of journalism of the U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan (2009); a winner of the Okudzhava First All-American festival of songs (1998); a winner of the Samarkand Festival of Art Song (1989); winner of the First Chimgan Rally Seminar of Art song (1987).

For many years he cooperated with almost all international human rights organisations and the Association for Human Rights in Central Asia.

His video project “Shoot me” quickly became popular, because it is aimed at the development of public debate on topics of concern to the Uzbek society. Intellectuals and victims of bureaucratic arbitrariness living in the country participate in open discussions. Many of them escaped arrest and were able to defend their constitutional rights because of publicity through this project.

The reason for the latest attacks on the journalist Said Abdurahimov was his article "Back to demolishing of houses in Tashkent: residents are denied compensation," published on 25 May 2014 on the site of the international news agency "Ferghana.Ru" and on TV 16/12 of 21 May 2014, where a video footage of the demolition of houses and interview of the victimsit was used.

Information about the demolition of buildings in Tashkent and elsewhere by the government decree is a multi-faceted topic. Residents of these homes often do not receive any compensation to which they are entitled by the law. Even in cases where they are offered other accommodation, it is in older homes and on the outskirts of the city, where heating, water and gas supplies are especially poor. Besides registration of the new properties usually is slow and difficult. These difficulties are experienced by people of different ages, even helpless elderly and disabled.

Government offices are inundated with complaints of the evicted. Executive agencies do not consider the complaints of citizens and press publications for very long time. Social inequality and the invasion of privacy of victims, contributing to the deterioration of the state of this group of the population, has become a common practice. Complaints of the affected do not get through to officials who are obliged to ensure their rights, who are accustomed to impunity.

  • The Court subpoena 
The subpoena was received on 27 June 2014, on a Friday evening, at the end of a working day. It said that Said Abdurahimov was ordered to appear in the Shayhantaur Criminal Court on 28 June at 10:00. The subpoena did not indicated in relation to which case he was being summoned and what offense he is charged with. A copy of the subpoena is attached.

  • The investigation
On 26 June 2014 the journalist was summoned to
the Main Police Department of Internal Affairs of Tashkent. Then he found out that the residents of the Koh Otaa street complained against him. Their houses were demolished for the construction of a large mosque and roads in the city of Tashkent. They wrote that the journalist Sid Yanyshev asked them questions in order to "discredit the policy of the state" and to generate "libel and slander."
According to Abdurahimov, residents willingly told about their plight. They did not receive a compensation, were not offered equivalent housing in other parts of Tashkent. In response to their complaints, the officials were indifferent and inactive. The journalist tried to explain to the investigator that representatives of the executive authorities do not fulfill Article 19 of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On protection of private property and guarantees of the rights of owners." It says that public authorities must notify the homeowner of their decision no later than six months before the demolition in written form and attach to the notice a copy of the decision of a hokim (local governor), in this case – the hokim of Tashkent. However, almost all of these residents were given very short notices. Abdurahimov explained that he discussed their position with the residents. This is evidenced by his article and video interview recorded on a flash card. There is no discussion of the government policies in his materials. No one took his explanations into consideration.
The investigation was carried out without his lawyer.

  • Waiting for the Court hearing
Even before the trial began, almost all the leading Uzbek journalists and human rights activists gathered to express their solidarity with Said Abdurahimov, some travelled from other regions. All of them continue to work in Uzbekistan, informing the public about the situation of human rights in the country. Two employees of the U.S. Embassy attended the hearing as observers. More than 20 people waited for two and a half hours outside the Court building. All this time they were secretly filmed on camera phones by people in plain cloth, from time to time, seen in the windows of the court by Said Abdurahimov’s colleagues. This kind of behaviour is typical of the agents of SNB and Ministry of Internal Affairs. According to eye-witnesses, most of them were interested in the identities of journalists and human rights defenders.

  • The trial
Trial was scheduled for 10:00. Approximately at 10:35 Said Abdurahimov was called by a policeman on duty and asked to show the subpoena and at about 11 he was asked to enter the Courtroom. Three police officer who represented the prosecution were there too. 

When Said Abdurahimov was invited into the courtroom, for some time he refused enter, because, they were not letting anyone else in, but him, even though the hearing was declared open. At the insistence of Abdurahimov they had to allow everyone to enter the hall. The authorities demanded everyone to produce a passport, recorded details and their address into the logbook. This took another hour.

The trial began at about 12 o’clock. Once Said Abdurahimov presented himself to the court, the judge asked if he had a statement to make. Abdurahimov replied that he does.
Said Abdurahimov asked to:
 give him a week to familiarise with the case;
 be provided with a lawyer.
Therefore, the trial was postponed. The accused was given only an hour to familiarise with the case, and during that time two lawyers provided by the State arrived.

The trial was presided over by Judge Shukurullo Inogamov. In the beginning of the trial, the Judge did not give the reasons for prosecution of Abdurahimov. According to journalist Alexei Volosevich, in response to Said Abdurahimov’s request to explain why he was being prosecuted, the Judge frowned and said, "You have familiarised yourself with the case, haven’t you?" And immediately led the conversation away from this topic.

It later emerged that five residents of the Koh Ota Street of the city of Tashkent, living in houses designated for demolition, made a statement that Abdurahimov interviewed them without their consent and asked for statutory measures to be taken in this regard.

Charges against journalist Abdurahimov were supported by the Head of the Department to combat terrorism of Ministry of Internal Affairs, Egamberdiev Bakhtiar. It is known that he bullied the residents of Koh Ota Street forcing to write a statement against Abdurahimov.

As an expert,  Tatiana was invited to the court. According to the judge, she was an employee of the National TV Channel "Yoshlar." (note from AHRCA: people attending the hearing could not hear her last name, and we could not establish her full name, title and place of work). She took the responsibility of establishing if Said Abdurahimov has got a right to work as a journalist. She based her assessment solely on her personal opinion without mentioning any legal acts. Tatiana claimed that in Uzbekistan, allegedly, there are no independent journalists. Apparently, the expert Tatiana has no idea about independent journalism.

The court also took into account the expertise of the Department of Media Monitoring at the Agency for Press and Information of Uzbekistan contained on a single sheet and signed by 4 persons. The authors' names were not disclosed. Director General of the National Agency "Uzbekkino" Jakhongir Kasimov signed an official letter from his department, where he said he did not know the journalist Said Abdurahimov, so the latter was not entitled to videotape on behalf of the agency. But the fact is that Abdurahimov always said that he was working as a freelance journalist and he did not have any relation to any agency, including "Uzbekkino".

During the trial, the equality of the parties was not observed. The accused had no opportunity to prepare evidence of his innocence and call any witnesses in his defense. The Judge often rudely interrupted him and did not give an opportunity to speak in his defence.

Two of the residents who made statements against Abdurahimov attended the court, but actually testified in his defense. During the break, one of them told the reporters that the residents were summoned to the headquarters, which addressed the issue of compensation for the demolition of their homes. In the headquarters the police officers were present too; the police officers pressured the residents to write statements against Said Abdurahimov. According to the aforementioned witness, she was afraid to tell the court that she was forced to give evidence against the journalist. She was threatened with deprivation of compensation, if she does not give evidence in favour of the prosecution. The three remaining plaintiffs did not appear in the court.

The Court did not consider that the journalist was ready to provide the proof of reliability of the information used.

  • Ruling of the Court
On 28 June 2014 the Shayhantaur Criminal Court of Tashkent ordered to fine the journalist Said Abdurahimov 100 minimum salaries (equivalent to USD 3,200) and confiscate his photo and video equipment.

The Court judged the actions of the journalist on articles 165 ("Lesson activities without a license") and 184 "Manufacture or possession with intent to distribution of materials containing a threat to public security and order" of the Administrative Code of Uzbekistan.

  • The Defence
On a Saturday, private law firms do not work, and no lawyer could not participate in the defense of Said Abdurahimov due to the inability to apply for a warrant for the right to represent the interests of the defendant in court. Abdurahimov was forced to ask for a public lawyer. The result was that not one, but two government lawyers turned up, but both were particularly passive and showed a complete tolerance to the absurd.

The Association for Human Rights in Central Asia - AHRCA notes that the trial of the independent journalist and human rights activist Said Abdurahimov (Sid Yanyshev pseudonym) can not be considered independent and impartial. In fact, the Decision was a reaction of the authorities to the open expression of critical opinion based on accurate information.

The charges against the journalist Abdurahimov are not credible, because they are contrary to Article 29 of the Constitution of Uzbekistan, which states: "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, speech and expression. Everyone has the right to seek, receive and impart any information, except against the existing constitutional system and other restrictions provided for by law. "

           — During the trial, there were no conditions of procedural equality. The prosecution had a privileged position.
           — The Court held the hearing on a very short notice, disregarding the fact that the defendant was only notified about the hearing the night before the hearing in this morning. He could not prepare evidence in his defense and had no time to study the case materials.
            — The court did not examine journalistic materials of Said Abdurahimov for threats to public security and public order.
            — The court ruled, based on the findings of experts who, in their assessment moved away from the subject matter and relied solely on the testimony of the prosecution in proving his guilt.
            — The Court did not seek to use other procedures to ensure effective and fair trial
            — The Court did not consider that the defendant lacked the right to choose a lawyer, thus he was actually deprived of legal representation.

The Association for Human Rights in Central Asia AHRCA sent reports to:
 United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights;
 UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders;
 UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers;
 UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression;
              EU Special Rapporteur on the countries of Central Asia;
              EU special rapporteur on human rights;
              Governments of democratic countries.

We call on you to urge the government of Uzbekistan to fulfill its obligations prescribed in ratified international agreements on human rights, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights


___
In the preparation of this material we relied on evidence of journalists Said Abdurahimov (Sid Yanyshev), Alexeу Volosevich, Victor Krymzalova and advice of Alisher Taksanov