– This is the title of the conference to be held in
Geneva on 26-27 November. An organiser of the conference is the Centre for
Civil and Political Rights based in Geneva. It will bring together civil
society activists from different countries. On behalf of the Uzbek community Nadejda
Atayeva, President of the Association for Human Rights in Central Asia will make
a speech. The delegation is also represented by Farhodhon Mukhtarov, a representative
of the "Human Rights Alliance of Uzbekistan", and Umida Niyazova, the
head of "Uzbek-German Forum".
On the eve of the conference, I would like to share my
observations about who in Uzbekistan has become a source of corruption and the
place the civil society should take in this process.
* * *
A citizen of Uzbekistan is in the custody of a prison
in Dubai. In the Uzbek business elite circles, until recently, his name, Aleksey
Yaitsky, was whispered enthusiastically. This is a major businessman, close to
the powerful Tatyana Karimova, the wife of the Uzbek dictator Islam Karimov. He
was paid this high respect for the fact that he was able to win her confidence.
According to some reports, he was able to become a leading figure in a
successful company "Abusahiy." This is a private enterprise, a
monopoly in the field of freight transport with a profit of up to 20 million
USD per month. Abusahiy’s cash flow is under a full control of Kamal Tillaev, a
brother of Timur Tillaev who is the husband of Lola Karimova, the youngest
daughter of Islam Karimov.
Yaitsky is accused of an
attempt to bribe an official. According to information from his inner circle,
his bank account in the UAE revealed 10 million USD. The origin of this amount
will have to be explained. Typically, these offenders serve their sentences in
the UAE; they are not handed over to the authorities of the country of origin.
Uzbekistan did not request him. But the Attorney General's Office of Uzbekistan
has to ask how such amount of funds was formed abroad in the account of an Uzbek
citizen.
Yaitsky’s magical opportunities ended
unexpectedly for himself and his inner circle, not in London, where his family
had settled in the neighbourhood with Lola Karimova, but in Dubai, where there
is a representative office of Abusahy is located and where he has extensive
links and long-time business experience.
It is proving not possible to bail Aleksey
Yaitsky out of the Dubai jail even with surety. It turned out, Tatyana
Karimova, Lola Karimova and a criminal authority, Yaitsky’s tennis partner
Salimbay Abduvaliev can not influence the Prosecutor of UAE.
They only managed to hide
the fact of Yaitsky’s arrest for a little longer than a month. The silence was
broken by the Radio "Ozodlik" [Freedom]. Now in Uzbekistan the
questions being discussed are: how will this affect the activity of Abusahy and
what will become of Yaitsky after he returns to Uzbekistan. First, his case was
discussed only "in the kitchens" and in social networks, but it has
already received the media’s attention. Discussions of this type of cases are
signals of civil society that Islam Karimov and his entourage will have to
answer for the widespread abuse of power that gives rise to a violation of the
fundamental rights of citizens.
Exceptional opportunities enjoyed by the Karimov family, including their close
relatives and inner circle is a very hot topic. For example, the arrest of Yaitsky
concerns all who need transportation services, and this is a huge army of
entrepreneurs specialising in the retail trade, export and import.
A significant part of the
business in Uzbekistan depended on Gulnara Karimova, on cooperation with her and
companies directly or indirectly controlled by her. Therefore, the scandal
surrounding her operations turned out so loud. Thousands of people were out of
work. Layoffs in the Swedish company TeliaSonera still continue. Some aides of Gulnara
Karimova are in jail in Uzbekistan and others in exile and are trying to
present themselves as dissidents.
In Uzbekistan, a group of very powerful oligarchs, nurtured by family
members of Islam Karimov came to existence. At this stage of the Karimov regime
it is clearly visible as they compete with each other, interacting with the
National Security Service and senior officials. They are allowed to patronise
other entrepreneurs and investors, to be mediators between Tatyana Karimova and
her youngest daughter Lola Karimova. These two ladies are quite influential.
These days one can survive in the Uzbek market only on their terms. These
conditions are detrimental to private entrepreneurs who settled in Uzbekistan
and abroad. In its activities, the Karimov family uses the weaknesses of the tax
and customs legislation and it is dependent on the executive judicial system.
Anyone can be robbed by the ruling clan. Defending their personal interests,
the oligarchs close to the family of Islam Karimov violate human rights. By the
will of the Karimov family members people are kidnapped, entrepreneurs are ruined,
they are charged on fabricate cases and on behalf of public authorities sent to
jail.
In the entre history, Uzbek officials were never as rich as they are
now. No one asks about the origin of the funds they spend on construction and
purchase of expensive real estate in Uzbekistan and abroad. They control the
supply of goods and services to the domestic market in exchange for a
considerable percentage of income in the form of bribes and money sent offshore.
The country where the authorities keep prices for basic foods fixed and
hinder the competition, there will always be corruption.
Uzbek citizens have the right to know all the details of activity of the
"Forum of Culture and Arts of Uzbekistan" foundation, which has been under
the patronage of Gulnara Karimova for over 10 years. And every citizen has the
right to know what taxes Abusahy pays, because many companies were affected by
the systematic abuse of power by the brothers Sharifhodzhaevs, the National
Security Service of Uzbekistan. Why Khayot Sharifhodzhaev still holds the post
of first deputy chairman of the National Security Service of Uzbekistan? Did they
not find evidence of his crimes? Or is it the case that the corrupt elite do
not touch Sharifhodzhaev fearing revelations on his part?
If the government is not accountable to the public and the decisions of
the Cabinet of Ministers contain secret items on benefits for businesses which
serve as trough for senior officials, corruption will not disappear.
The scandal surrounding the illegal proceeds of Gulnara Karimova is
remarkable. On the one hand, it revealed the collusion of senior officials and
the first family of the country. And on the other hand, it gives the Uzbek
civil society the chance to direct the funds Gulnara concentrated abroad to pay
for compensation for victims of human rights violations. And this process
depends largely on the position of civil society in Uzbekistan.
Nadejda Atayeva
