The Association for Human Rights in Central Asia
received by e-mail a message marked “SOS” stating that Malokhat Eshankulova,
head of the Birdamlik movement in Uzbekistan, is seriously ill. Further, the
statement said Eshankulova has been poisoned by the Uzbek authorities, has
great difficulty moving around and is rapidly losing weight – 15 kg in recent
months. Recently, Eshankulova traveled to Samarkand to visit her mother, in
order to say goodbye to her before death.
Soon afterward, we were sent an Internet link to a
petition addressed to the embassies of the countries of the European Uniondisseminated by Galima Bukharbayeva, the editor of the site Uznews.net:
The author of the petition asks diplomats to provide medical assistance to
Eshankulova, and calls on people of good will to show solidarity by signing the
petition.
Such alarming news has provoked serious concern, therefore our representative
in Uzbekistan visited Malokhat Eshankulova. The meeting took place in the
Birdamlik Movement office. Eshankulova was there with her daughter. Indeed she
did look thin and explained this as due to a liver ailment. She admitted that
she had not gone to Uzbek doctors and prefers care from a physician living in
Turkey. Eshankulova did not state that the Uzbek authorities had poisoned her,
and did not present any documented conclusions from doctors about poisoning.
Experts of
our Association have not found persuasive the claims of Eshankulova in her
statement that she was poisoned in revenge for her political activity, and have
found it inappropriate and pointless to accuse someone of a crime. Eshankulova
has long been undergoing stress, which might provoke her emotional reaction or
even panic. Therefore, we do not believe that she is deliberately lying.
The Association for Human Rights in Central Asia is an independent
organization and reserves the right to verify information received, to provide
a legal evaluation and freely express its opinion.
We do not
believe it is necessary to comment on emotional evaluations. We remind our
opponents that intolerance to criticism
and heightened self-regard lower trust in their statements.
