More than two months ago, on 4 December 2012,
the Senate of Uzbekistan, in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the
country's Constitution, passed a resolution on amnesty of prisoners. As the
Senate Committee on Legislation and Legal Affairs noted, it is an act of
humanity to those whose crimes are not dangerous to the society. In the
resolution, in particular, persons with disabilities groups 1 and 2, persons
suffering from serious diseases, women and men over 60, foreign citizens are separately
noted.
Previous amnesty in Uzbekistan was declared in
December 2011. According to official figures, it was applied to more than 45
thousand people, also 1,958,000 people were released from serving a criminal
sentence, the prison sentences of the rest were reduced or their prosecution
were discontinued.
The resolution of 4 December 2012 is structured
in such a way that a number of political prisoners are excluded from the
amnesty.
The Association “Human
Rights in Central Asia” — AHRCA has learnt that, for several years,
the acts of amnesty are not applied to the following persons:
1.
prisoners with 1st and 2nd
group of disability, the list follows:
Muhammadjon Akhmedovich Kurbanov was born on 27 February 1957 in the Fergana
region, a citizen of Uzbekistan. On 2 October 2006 he was certified as disabled
with the severity group 2. He suffers from asthma of the 4th degree.
His disability certificate number is A070009827
Muhammadjon Kurbanov is in prison
since 2009. He was convicted under the following Articles of the Criminal Code
of Uzbekistan: 227 (acquisition, destruction, damage, or concealment of documents,
stamps, and forms); 168, part 2, paragraphs "а", "b"
(Fraud), part 3, paragraph "b" (fraud in large amount). During the
investigation of his case, he was subjected to torture. The acts of amnesty did not apply to his case.
Rustam Rakhmankulov was born in 1962, a citizen
of Tajikistan. In 2006 he was certified as the 2nd group disabled,
as evidenced by the letter of the Embassy of Tajikistan in Uzbekistan. He is serving a sentence at the
prison УЯ 64/71, located in the in the village of Jasliq of Karakalpakistan.
Rustam Rakhmankulov was convicted by
the Tashkent City Criminal Court on 14 June 2009 to 18 years of imprisonment
under the following Articles of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan: 273, part 5 (illegal
sale of narcotic or psychotropic substances); 246, part 2 (smuggling). The
Court did not take into consideration that he was disabled. The acts of amnesty of 27.06.2009, 28.08.2010, and 08.12.2011 were
not applied to his case.
Shavkat Muslimovich
Karimov was born on
23 June 1971, a citizen of Tajikistan. Since 30 March 1996 he holds a
certificate of disability of the 2nd group. This fact is confirmed
in the letter of reference issued by the embassy of Tajikistan in Uzbekistan.
He is held at the prison number 64/47 at the town of Kiziltepa of the Navai
Region.
On 9 February 2011 the Mirabad
District Criminal Court of Tashkent sentenced Shavkat Karimov to 20 years of imprisonment
under the Article 273, part 5 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of
Uzbekistan (illegal production, purchase, storage, carriage or transmission of
narcotic and psychotropic substances with the purpose to sell, as well as sale
thereof). The acts of amnesty did not
apply to his case.
Murad Almatovich Latipov was born on 1 January 1957 in Tashkent, a citizen of Uzbekistan. His
prison sentence indicates that he is the 1st group disabled, he is
blind. He was certified as disabled on 1 January 1997. He is serving a sentence
at the prison УЯ 64/32, located in the Pop District of the Namangan Region.
Murad Almatovich Latipov was
sentenced under 11 Articles on the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan:
28 (types of accomplices) in conjunction with Article 97 (intentional killing),
part 2, paragraphs "а", "d", "e", "m",
"p", "q" (15 year of imprisonment); 145 (violation of freedom
of religion), part 2 (2 years of imprisonment); 155 (terrorism), part 3,
paragraphs "а", "b" (15 year of imprisonment); 158 (offences
against President of Republic of Uzbekistan), part 1 (10 years of
imprisonment); 159, part 4 (10 years of imprisonment); 161 (sabotage) (15 year
of imprisonment); 242 (organisation of criminal community), part 1 (15 years of
imprisonment), 244-1, part 3, paragraphs "а" "b" (5 years
of imprisonment), 244-2, part 2 (15 years of imprisonment), under the
application of the Article 59 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan
(inflicting penalty in instance of multiple crime) he was sentenced to 16 years
of imprisonment. He was arrested on 16 October 2004. He was accused of
involvement in the bombings of 1999. He cannot walk unaccompanied. This fact
was known to the Court and there were nine Central TV operators in Uzbekistan
present at the hearing, including the news service "Akhborot", the
representative of the Ombudsman and the diplomatic embassies of EU countries. The acts of amnesty did not apply to his
case.
Sunnat Turgunovich Talasov was born on 28 August 1964 in Tashkent, a citizen of Uzbekistan. His
prison sentence indicates that he is a disabled person of the 1st
group, he is blind. Talasov was
sentenced under 10 Articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan:
28 (types of accomplices) in conjunction with Article 97 (murder), part 2,
paragraphs "а", "d", "e", "m",
"p", "q" (8 years of imprisonment); 155, part 3, paragraphs
"а", "b" (8 years of imprisonment); 158, part 1 (offences
against President of Republic of Uzbekistan) (8 years of imprisonment); 159,
part 4 (7 years of imprisonment); 161 (7 years of imprisonment); 242, part 1 (7
years of imprisonment); 244-1, part 3, paragraphs "а", "b"
(5 years of imprisonment); 244-2, part 2 (7 years of imprisonment), under the
application of 59 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan he was
sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment. He was arrested on 27 November 2004. He
was sentenced by the Tashkent City Criminal Court on 21 February 2005. Current
location of Talasov is not known. The
acts of amnesty did not apply to his case.
2. political prisoners, 60 years old and over:
Isak Abdullaev was born in 1935, a citizen
of Uzbekistan. He is a member of the “Mazlum” Human Rights Centre. He was
arrested on 13 March 2005, charged under Articles 110, part 2 (torture), 112
part 1 (death threats or violence), 137, Part, 2, paragraph "a",
"b", "c", " d "(kidnapping), 138, part 2,
paragraphs “a”,"b"(forcible
unlawful confinement), 139, part 3, paragraphs "a", "b", "c"
(slander), 165, Part 2 (extortion), 166, part 4, paragraph "a"
(robbery), 168, Parts 1, 3, paragraph "a" (fraud), 182, part 2,
paragraph "a" (violation of customs laws), 184 Part 3 (evasion of
taxes or other payments) 219, part 2 (resistance to authority or person
performing a civic duty), 237 (false information) 244-1 (production and
distribution of materials containing a threat to public safety and order) and
273 (illegal manufacturing, purchase, storage, and other actions in relation to
drugs or psychotropic substances for the purpose of sale, and sale of thereof)
of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Isak Abdullaev was convicted at the age
of 70, at the age of 77, he remains in custody. Acts of amnesty did not apply
to his case.
Salijon Abdurakhmanov was born in 1950, a citizen of Uzbekistan. He is a founder and
correspondent of «Uznews.net» (http://www.uznews.net),
a member of the “Real Journalists of Uzbekistan” and the “Committee for the
Protection of Personal Rights in Karakalpakstan”. He worked for the radio
“Freedom” and the Institute for War and Peace. He was arrested on 7 June 2008.
He was charged under Article 276, part 2, paragraph “a” of the Criminal Code of
Uzbekistan (illegal manufacturing, purchase, storage, and other actions in
relation to narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances without the purpose of
sale) and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Salijon
Abdurakhmanov, now 62 years old, is serving his sentence in a complex living
conditions, his access to health care is restricted. Acts of amnesty did not
apply to his case.
Murat Juraev was
born in 1952, a citizen of Uzbekistan. He is a former Member of the Parliament
of Uzbekistan, and a former mayor of the town of Mubarek of the Kashkadarya
region. He took an active part in making of the “Declaration of Independence”
in the Parliament of the country. He is a member of the Central Council of the “Erk”
Democratic Party of Uzbekistan. On 18 June 1994 he was sentenced to 12 years in
prison on charges of committing crimes under the following Articles of the 1995
Criminal Code of Uzbekistan: 17-55, 17-60, Part 2, 17-62, 17-73, Part 1,
17-197, Part 1. Soon after, his sentence was reduced to 9 years. Over the
years, Juraev was sentenced 4 times under the article 221 (disobedience to
lawful demands of the administration of the penal institutions): in 2003, 2006,
2009, and on 5 December 2012. 60 years old
Murad Juraev remains in prison, he suffers from ill nasopharynx, and he needs a
dental care. Acts of amnesty did not apply to his case.
Samandar Kukanov was born in 1945, a citizen of Uzbekistan. He is a former Deputy of the
Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Uzbekistan, a member of the “Erk” Democratic
Party of Uzbekistan. In 1993, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges
of economic crimes. The information of health
of the 67 years old Samandar Kukanova is not publicly available, his close family
is intimidated. Acts of amnesty did not apply to his case.
Ganikhon Mamatkhanov was born in 1951, a citizen of Uzbekistan. He was the Fergana Valley
Representative of the “Committee for the Protection of individual rights”. He was
arrested on 9 October 2009, then sentenced to five years in prison under
Articles 168 (fraud), 211, Part 3 (bribery) of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan.
The 61 years old prisoner, Ganikhon
Mamatkhanov suffers from heart problems. Acts of amnesty did not apply to his
case.
The writer, Mamadali Makhmudov was born in 1940. He is a member of the “Erk”
Democratic Party of Uzbekistan. He is a former chairman of the Cultural
Foundation of Uzbekistan. He was arrested on 19 February 1999 and sentenced to
14 years of imprisonment under Articles 25-159, Part 4 (attempts to
Constitutional order of Republic of Uzbekistan), 216 (illegal organisation of
public associations or religious organisations), 242, Part 1 (organisation of
criminal community) of the Criminal Code Uzbekistan. The 72 years old prisoner, Mamadali Makhmudov remains in custody. Acts
of amnesty did not apply to his case.
Agzam Turgunov was born in 1952, a citizen of Uzbekistan. He was a CEO and founder of
the “Mazlum” Human Rights Centre. On 11 July
2008 he was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment under Article 165 (extortion)
of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan. The
60 years old prisoner Agzam Turgunov suffering from heart problems. The acts of
amnesty did not apply to his case.
Rustam Usmanov
was born in 1948, a citizen of Kyrgyzstan. He is a former Chairman of the first
private commercial bank “Rustam-bank.” In February 1998, he was sentenced to 14
years in prison under Articles 165, part 3 (extortion), 177, Part 3 (illegal
purchase or sale of foreign currency), 205, part 2 (abuse of official position
or office), 209, Part 1 (forgery of the official documents) of the Criminal
Code of Uzbekistan. In February 2012, he was handed down the second sentence, under
which he was sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment under Article 221
(disobedience to the lawful demands of the administration of the penal
institutions). The 64 years old prisoner,
Rustam Usmanov was repeatedly tortured. He suffers from heart problems. The acts
of amnesty did not apply to his case.
Isroiljon Kholdarov was born on 23 August 1951, a citizen of Uzbekistan. He was the Chairman
of the Andijan branch of the “Ezgulik” Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan. In
October 2005, he left Uzbekistan and applied for international protection at
the UNHCR office in Kyrgyzstan. On 2 November 2005 Uzbekistan announced him wanted,
charged under the Article 159, part 1, of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan (attempt
on the constitutional order). According to the official version of events, on 7
September 2006 he turned himself in to the Office of the National Security
Service in Andijan region. The circumstances of his return to Uzbekistan remain
unknown. In February 2007, the Andijan Regional Court sentenced him to six
years in prison under the Articles 159 (attempt on the Constitutional order),
216 (illegal organisation of public associations), 223 (illegal travel abroad),
244-1 (distribution of materials containing a threat to public safety) of the
Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan. On 15 July 2012 the second
sentence under the Article 221 (disobedience to the legitimate demands of the
administration of penal institutions) was passed, resulting in extension of his
prison term for another three years. The
61 years old prisoner, Isroiljon Kholdarov, 2nd group disabled,
remains in custody in conditions that harm his health. The acts of amnesty did not
apply to his case.
The Association “Human
Rights in Central Asia” - AHRCA calls upon the international
community to intervene in the situation of the prisoners who remain in custody
in defiance of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
