What is happening to the detainees, the reason for their isolation and whereabouts remain unknown. Urgent intervention of the international community is required.
On 29 January 2014, close to 20:00
hours, Shukhrat Nurmukhamedov, a police inspector and four employees of the
Main Department of Internal Affairs of the city of Tashkent came to the house
of photographer and documentarian Akhmedova. None of them presented themselves.
They took Akhmedova and her son, the photographer Timur Karpov for "a
conversation". They were not told the reason for detention or shown any
documents justifying the detention. The police issued Summons for their
detention only at the request of the detained. At about 22:00 hours Timur
Karpov sent an SMS to his father that they were moved to Hamza District
Department of the Internal Affairs. Most likely, they were first taken to the
City Police Department, then the case was transferred to the Hamza District
Police Department in accordance with place of residence of the detainees.
- Information about the detainees:
 |
| Timur Karpov |
Timur Karpov, was born on 23 January 1990 in Tashkent. Since October 2012 has been
working as a photo editor at the Russian Internet publication «Lenta.ru».
 |
| Umida Akhmedova |
Umida Akhmedova, was born on 21 October 1956 in the Parkent District
of Tashkent Region. She is a photographer and
documentarian, lives in Tashkent. She graduated from the
School of Cultural and Enlightenment in Vladimir (department of photography and
filming), and in 1986 the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography (RSIC).
She is the author of documentaries
"The Burden of Virginity",
"Women and Men in the Rites and
Rituals" and the album "Women and Men from dusk till Dawn"
for which, in February 2010, she was convicted on charges of "insulting" and "slander." The Court did
not appointed a punishment
as immediately after
her conviction the Court pardoned Akhmedova.
On
the same day, 29 January, it was reported that four more people working in
field of culture were detained:
 |
| Alexander Ulko |
Alexander Ulko, was born on 29 February 1969 in Samarkand. Lives in Tashkent. Qualifications: Uzbek
State University of World Languages (Tashkent) and College of St Mark and St
John (Plymouth, United Kingdom). Teaches English at the
British Council in Tashkent.
 |
| Ashot Danielyan |
Ashot
Danielyan, was born on 6 November
1983. Lives in Tashkent. Leader of the rock group «Wings of
Origami».
Gulsum
Usmanova. At this point we only
know that she is from Baku.
Ilgar
Gasimov. He is a talented
musician.
- The detention of the creative
authors was preceded by two events in which they all took part.
On 25
January 2014 in Tashkent House of
Photography at the initiative photo club "Neformat" a photo
exhibition entitled "One Space" was presented. Timur Karpov was among
the participants. He was presenting photographs from the series "Ghost
Towns". His work was banned for the show two hours before the show opened
at the behest of the two leaders of the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan -
Chairman Akmal Nur and his deputy Ravshan Mirtadzhiev. The decision about
censoring free creativity caused a conflict.
Once again, Uzbek authorities are unnecessarily
restricting the freedom of artistic expression, in violation of the
Constitution of Uzbekistan Article 29 (" Everyone has the right to freedom
of thought , speech and expression") and Article 43 ("The State shall
ensure the rights and freedoms embodied in the Constitution and the
laws"). Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights ("Everyone has the right to hold opinions without
interference") also commits Uzbekistan to respect freedom of expression. The state has pledged not to interfere in
artistic activities, but all who depict social problems in their work are
persecuted.
On 27
January 2014 all six, who were
subsequently detained, took part in series of protests. The first of them took
place at the Ukrainian Embassy in Tashkent – they showed their support of the
pro-integration of Ukraine into the European Union protesters in Kiev on
Evromaydan. The same day, the protesters visited the monument to Taras
Shevchenko in Tashkent, where flags of Ukraine and Georgia were deployed. They
also were at the Muslim complex of Hazrat (Hast) Imam. The participants of the
event unfolded black and red flag, which is used by some activists in
Evromaydan.
According to the AHRCA sources, the protesters did not disturb public order.
They peacefully showed solidarity with the defenders of democratic values in
Kiev.
Uzbek authorities did not leave
without attention this free expression of citizenship point of view by the
"chronic offenders" of repressive order in Uzbekistan, their friendly
relations with the freedom fighters in Ukraine and Georgia. Moreover, they are
defiantly violating the right of all detainees to representation and access to
accurate information.
The
Association for Human Rights in Central Asia calls the UN Special Rapporteur on
Freedom of Expression, the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights of the European
Union, international human rights organisations and diplomats of democratic
countries to intervene immediately to ensure:
– humane treatment of
detained protesters in Tashkent;
– access to information about their
whereabouts;
– unhindered access to their lawyer;
