In March 2014 it was reported
that a prisoner Konyratbay Allaniyazov died but his body was not given to his family.
Even relatives do not know the
exact date of the death of Konyratbaya Allaniyazov. They were intimidated; they do not comment on the situation.
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| Konyratbay ALLANIYAZOV |
Konyratbay ALLANIYAZOV was born in 1953 in Takhtakupir district of Karakalpakstan Autonomous
Republic (Uzbekistan). Previously he worked as a director of
a timber factory of the Takhiatash city of the Khodzheli District of Karakalpakstan.
In the early 1990s he took an active part in the activities of
Karakalpakstan party "Halyk mypy" ("Will of the People").
Its leaders Marat Nurmukhamedov and Marat Aralbayev did much to include the Article 74 to the Constitution of Uzbekistan, which states: "The
Republic of Karakalpakstan has the right to secede from the Republic of
Uzbekistan on the basis of a general referendum of the people of
Karakalpakstan."
Allaniyazov openly expressed his civil position, criticized the regime for discrimination of residents of Karakalpakstan pointing to the most acute problems. Following the death threats, they fabricated charges against him
under the Article 273 of the Uzbek Criminal Code (illegal manufacturing, purchase,
storage, and other activities involving narcotic drugs or psychotropic
substances with intent to sell, as well as their sales). He was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment.
Increasingly, representatives of Karakalpak people express their
desire to secede from the Republic of Uzbekistan. The central government of Uzbekistan
finances Karakalpakstan on leftovers and totally controls all activities in the
autonomous republic. Many activists of the opposition movement and participants
of karakalpak protests are arrested. Information about them is blocked. They were
all tortured and placed in conditions comparable to torture. Allaniyazov is the third Karakalpak activist whose death became known last year.
* * *
Abdigani IDRISOV was born in 1965. He graduated from the Faculty of Mathematics of the Nukus State University and worked as a teacher. Later, he
became a religious figure. He was an Imam of the Karauzyak District. Before his arrest, he lived in Chimbay District.
In February 2012, he was
charged under the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan Articles 210 (bribery) and 273 (Illegal manufacture, acquisition, storage, and other activities
involving narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances with intent to sell, as
well as their sales).
Drugs were suddenly
"discovered" under the pillow in the house, where he was invited to
visit. Idrisov was
sentenced to 16 years of
imprisonment. He was
repeatedly tortured. He was released on the eve of his death.
On 14 February 2013, he died as a result of torture, without regaining
consciousness.
* * *
Makset Ismetov was born in
1958. He was behind the creation of Karakalpakstan’s Party of "Halyk
mypy" ("Will of the People"). He openly criticized the government for limiting
fundamental freedoms of
the Karakalpak people.
He was sentenced to imprisonment on charges of
"organizing mass disorder" that occurred in the Chimbay District on 17 November
2010. According to witnesses, that day, more than
500 people came out to protest when they learned that the authorities want to relocate the Chimbay Creamery
(Karakalpakstan) into
the Khorezm Region. For
many locals this decision meant the loss of work. People spontaneously gathered in the street in protest to this decision. On that
day, the crowd occupied the state administration building, the hokim (head of the local administration) and his deputies were beaten. On the
same day the uprising was
suppressed, about 300 protesters were arrested, 30 of them are still in custody.
Makset Ismetov was accused of organising the protest. And his brother Aryslan Ismetov
who was working as a prosecutor in
Nukus at that time, was also imprisoned on false
charges.
On 6 March 2013 Makset
Ismetov died while in custody.
The Association for Human Rights in
Central Asia expresses Condolences to relatives of Konyratbay Allaniyazov, Abdigani
Idrisov and Makset Ismetov. They
paid the price for freedom of expression and publication of the concerns of the
population of Karakalpakstan. We are convinced that Allaniyazov, Idris and
Ismetov were victims of extrajudicial executions, for which the Uzbek authorities are responsible. To investigate the circumstances of the death of activists in the current
situation is impossible.
