The Association for Human Rights in Central Asia (AHRCA), International
Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) and Amnesty International are concerned about
a recent wave of detentions and interrogations of dozens of users of the social
media platform Facebook in Uzbekistan.
From 24 August to date sources in Uzbekistan have informed our
organizations that dozens of people have been arbitrarily detained throughout
the country and held on administrative charges after they posted comments on
their Facebook accounts or 'liked' and shared posts of other social media
users.
All the comments appear to relate to cultural and religious issues that
the authorities in Uzbekistan consider particularly sensitive, such as the
wearing of hijabs (Islamic headscarves), which is prohibited in places of work
or schools in Uzbekistan. We are
concerned that the authorities in Uzbekistan are trying to clamp down on any discussions
on social media critical of the government's cultural and religious policies
and legislative initiatives.
Nine of those who were detained are known to be Adham Olimov; Otabek Usmanov; Miraziz Ahmedov; Ziyovuddin Rakhim; Tulkin Astanov; Turabek Baimirzaev; Dilshod Khalilov; Khurshidbek Mukhammadrozykov; and Erkin Sulaimon. Police also briefly
detained and questioned three people for four to five hours: Shokir Sharipov (uses name of Muhammad Shakur on the internet);
Iskander Sadirov and Malokhat Anvarova (uses name of Ummu Abbos on the
internet). According to media reports, of the Facebook users detained were released from custody on 11 September, including Miraziz Ahmedov, Adham Olimov and Dilshod Khalilov, although their computers and telephones were not
returned to them.
Several of those detained signed
statements undertaking not to participate in any further “suspicious”
activities - but without receiving an explanation from law enforcement officials
as to what qualifies as “suspicious”. In addition, “suspicious” is not a legally defined
term and does not refer to any internationally recognised offence; hence the
demand is an arbitrary restriction of the right to freedom of expression.
According to our information, the authorities tracked Facebook users by
their IP addresses and then dispatched police officers from the regional anti-terrorism
units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to detain them, search their homes and
confiscate computer and technical equipment, in most cases without presenting
arrest or search warrants. In the cases we are aware of, interrogations at
police stations lasted for four hours or more without any legal representatives
present and relatives of those detained were not informed of their whereabouts.
The charges were often excessive in terms of the alleged offence – for example,
someone trying to organize a small-scale protest (picket) was charged with
calling for mass unrest.
According to information we have received from sources who cannot be
identified because of security concerns, law enforcement officials have arbitrarily charged some detainees
with 'failure to comply with the lawful
demands of a police officer' under Article 194 of the Code of Administrative
Offences. In some of these cases the officers themselves had exceeded their
authority and verbally insulted and physically assaulted detainees and
subjected them to ill-treatment.
The cases highlighted below show to what extent the Uzbekistani authorities
closely monitor social media networks and react to critical posts by private
individuals concerning, for example, the prohibition of wearing a hijab or
initiatives to hold small scale protests.
Shokir Sharipov – (pseudonym Muhammad Shakur) was arrested on 25 August 2018. He lives in Tashkent
region and has 4,879 “friends” on Facebook and 753 followers. He is a wheelchair
user. Eight officers from the Department
of Internal Affairs of Kibraisky District, Tashkent came to his home to arrest
him and take him to the police station. During detention he was reportedly
ill-treated, threatened and insulted. His computer, phone and other equipment
were confiscated without any warrant or him being given a receipt. Several
hours later he was taken back home. According to media reports[11] he was accused of “inciting mass unrest” and
“residing without a residence permit”.
Shortly before he was arrested the following post in Uzbek appeared on
Muhammad Shakur’s
Facebook page:
Central to a democratic state are - peaceful
demonstrations -pickets. A picket is the expression of any protest by a small
group of persons. Four people needed. I am the fifth. We will hold a picket. A peaceful
picket. The banners will read: "A headscarf is not a weapon!",
"A headscarf is a requirement of our faith!", "Do not trample on
our souls!"
Nearly 200 Facebook users ‘liked’ this post and discussions and began sharing
it. Legislation in Uzbekistan does not prohibit calling people to attend a
picket, which may be the reason that Shokir Sharipov was charged with calling
for mass disorder.
Adham Olimov, (internet name Musanif Adham), has 5,601 subscribers to his personal
page. He writes about socio-political problems as well as issues of a spiritual
and moral character and comments on changes in society. He was arrested by one
police officer and eight officials from the Olmazar District Department of
Internal Affairs on 28 August at 6:40 pm at his home in the Almazar district of
Tashkent. On 29 August he was sentenced to 15 days’
detention by Almazar Administrative Court for the administrative offences of "failure
to comply with the lawful requirement of a police officer" and "obstructing
the work of police officers". Adham Olimov is currently in custody.
Otabek Usmanov is from Andijan. He came to the attention of the authorities because of
his posts on spiritual and moral issues, such as government-imposed restrictions
on children being allowed to attend the mosque. According to Fergana News, he
was detained at his work at General Motors in Andijan region by representatives
of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and held in a cell with a group of women
who started an argument with him and lodged a complaint against him with the
regional prosecutor’s office. Following
the complaint, on 29 August law enforcement officials in Andijan charged him
with petty hooliganism and detained him for 15 days.
Ziyovuddin Rahim: Ziyovuddin Kabirov writes under the name Ziyovuddin Rahim and is a theological scholar and author of over 20 religious books. He has 4,975 "friends" and 3,260 followers on Facebook. In his posts he writes about spiritual and moral issues. Little information is available about his detention although it is known that his house was searched when he was arrested and that he is still under arrest at the time of writing.
Additionally Facebook user Tulkin
Astanov is known to have been arrested on 24 August and held for ten days
in administrative detention.
The whereabouts of Miraziz
Ahmedov were unknown for ten days. On 2 September, he wrote on his Facebook page “I've been summoned to the police. Pray
for me." The same day he complied with a summons to the district police
office and was not seen until he was released on 11 September. News agency Ferghana.Ru quotes sources as
saying he is being held at the Department of Internal Affairs in Tashkent. For more than
15 years, Miraziz Ahmedov worked as an interior designer and founded the Miraziz
Design Group. In the autumn, this studio planned to open design
schools in several cities in Uzbekistan.
He repeatedly spoke about religious topics on Facebook. For example, in
response to a government resolution on the introduction of a standard
countrywide school uniform, he wrote that if his daughter was forbidden to wear
a headscarf to school, she might not attend. He repeatedly condemned what he
regarded as the hypocrisy of religious debates and called on users to join a
group to defend the rights of Muslims in Uzbekistan.
Although information about the
detentions of these users of social networks continues to arrive from
Uzbekistan, it has proved difficult to follow up the current situation of those
in detention and even of those briefly detained, as they decline to comment.
Their families have likewise declined to speak about the detentions. We are
concerned that this indicates that they have been put under pressure by the
authorities not to speak to media or human rights observers.
On 5 September the Ministry of Justice issued a press release outlining
the establishment of a register of banned sites to include those which publish
information calling for violent overthrow of the constitutional system;
propagate violence, terrorism and religious extremism, provide confidential
information on state secrets or laws; and which incite national, ethnic or
religious hatred or harm the honour or dignity or citizens. Given the
restrictive context for freedom of expression in Uzbekistan, we are concerned
that this and other recently announced measures
regulating and restricting access to internet sites which are considered
to distribute such types of information
could lead to more violations of human rights and further arbitrary
detentions of users who visit such
sites.
We call on the Uzbekistani authorities to:
— Immediately and unconditionally release from detention
all those who are detained solely for exercising their right to freedom of
expression;
— Investigate reports that police officers ill-treated
internet users during arrest and administrative detention;
— Bring national legislation governing online as well as
printed and broadcast media fully into compliance with Uzbekistan’s
international human rights obligations and ensure full respect for the right to
freedom of expression in law and in practice;
— Ensure unrestricted access to online information resources, including
national and international news sites, social networks and CSO websites.
— Ensure that there are no restrictions on social networks, the media and
literature except those which are demonstrably necessary and proportionate for
protection of the rights of others or specified public interests as set out in
international law.
— Ensure that journalists, writers and individuals can
work freely without fear of retribution for expressing critical opinions or
covering topics that the government deems sensitive.
