Russia: Tajik activist Mehribon Sattorov faces extradition

Russia refused to grant a refugee status to an activist of the Youth of Tajikistan for Revival movement Mehribon Sattorov. He is arrested at the request of Tajikistan for extradition and detained in an Investigation Detention Facility in Moscow.

Mehribon Sattorov

Mehribon Khasanovich SATTAROV was born on 14 May 1989 in the city of Kanibadam, Leninaban (currently Sogd) Region of Takikistan. He is a citizen of Tajikistan. He is educated to a higher degree level at the Tajikistan State University of Commerce.

He was one of the initiators of the Youth of Tajikistan for Revival movement and is an active participant of campaigns for protection of the economic migrants from Tajikistan.

He was arrested in Moscow on 3 December 2014 at the extradition request of Tajikistan. In Tajikistan, he is accused of committing crimes under the following Articles of the Criminal Code of Tajikistan: 307.1, Parts 1 and 2 (Public calls to violent change of the constitutional order of the Republic of Tajikistan); 307.2, Part 2 (Organisation of an extremist community).

Mr. Sattorov is detained in the Pre-trial Detention Facility (СИЗО) No. 4 of Moscow. He was informed that they are conducting investigations regarding him. However, the investigator has not even questioned Mehrubon Sattorov during the last eight months and does not respond to his complaints.

In Russia, Mr. Sattorov applied for a refugee status. However, the Federal Migration Service (FMS) did not grant his application, despite the risk of him being tortured in Tajikistan. Mehribon Sattorov is an authorised representative of Maksud Ibrahimov, the leader of Youth of Tajikistan for Revival movement. Mr. Ibragimov was abducted in Moscow in January 2015. He was then illegally transported to Tajikistan, where he was subjected to torture and sentenced to 17 years in prison.

Association for Human Rights in Central Asia (AHRCA) is concerned about the fate of a citizen of Tajikistan Mehribon Sattorov. In this regard, we call on the Russian government to fulfil its obligations under Article 3 of the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which states that: “No State Party shall expel, return ("refouler") or extradite a person to another State where there are substantial grounds for believing that he would be in danger of being subjected to torture”.

We are sending reports about a repressive campaign against supporters of the Youth of Tajikistan for Revival movement and the opposition organisation Group of 24 to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

***

We present a non-exhaustive list of activist members of the Youth of Tajikistan for Revival movement and the opposition movement Group 24, who either were arrested at the request of Tajikistan for the extradition or kidnapped and taken to Tajikistan or are under threat of arrest in Tajikistan.

• Individuals who are in prison:

1. Maksud IBRAGIMOV, born on 3 November 1977. On 26 November 2014, he was attacked and stabbed following repeated threats. Ibragimov was abducted in Moscow in January 2015. He was then illegally taken to Tajikistan detained at the KGB. The investigation of his case was conducted in violation of the procedural rules, he was tortured and not allowed access to a lawyer; his close family are under a constant pressure and surveillance. On 24 July 2015, he was sentenced to 17 years in prison.

2. Negmatullo KURBONOV, born in 1989 in the Hamadon Distirct of the Khatlon Region of Tajikistan. Under a threat of arrest, he had to return to Tajikistan on 9 October 2014 and was soon sentenced to 4 years of imprisonment.

3. Umedzhon SOLEKHOV, born in 1984 in the Vasey District of the Kulyab (currently Khatlon) Region of Tajikistan. Under a threat of arrest, he had to return to Tajikistan and in December 2014 was sentenced to 17 and half years of imprisonment.

• Individuals under a threat of arrest in Tajikistan:

4. Sherzod KOMILOV, born in 1992 in the city of Kayrakkum, the Sogd Region of Tajikistan. When his family was threatened with violence, he had to return from Russia to Tajikistan. He is persecuted for interviewing with an opposition TV channel and is under a threat of arrest.

• Individuals under a threat of extradition: 

5. Nuriddin BAFOEV, born in 1970 in the village of Asht (currently Shaydon) of the Leninabad (currently Sogd) Region of Tajikistan. On 25 November 2014, he was arrested in Moscow, Russia.

6. Mehribon SATTAROV, born on 14 May 1989 in the city of Kanibadam of the Leninabad (currently Sogd) Region of Tajikistan. He was arrested on 3 December 2014 on extradition request of Tajikistan; he is currently held in the Pre-trial Detention Facility (СИЗО) № 4 of Moscow, Russia.

7. Abdurahim VOSIEV, born in 1987 in the Khalton District of the Khalton Region of Tajikistan. He is a resident of the city of Kabodyan. He was arrested on 12 November 2014 on extradition request of Tajikistan, currently held in the Pre-trial Detention Facility (СИЗО) № 4 of Moscow, Russia.

8. Karim OBIDOV, arrested in Moscow, no further information is available.

9. Sulaymon DZHABIROV, arrested on 10 December 2014 in the city of Samara, Russia, currently held in the Pre-trial Detention Facility (СИЗО) № 1 of Moscow, Russia.

10. Roziya ABDURAHMONOVA, born in 1961 in the Dzhaloliddin Rumi District of the Khatlon Region of Tajikistan. She was arrested on 19 December 2014 in the city of Novosibirsk, Russia.

11. Mirzohakim AKHMEDOV, born in 1982. He was arrested in May 2015, in the city of Saratov, Russia on extradition request of Tajikistan.

12. Firuz LOIKOV, born on 26 February 1994. In April 2015, he was arrested in Moscow, Russia on extradition request of Tajikistan. We do not have any further details.

13. Shabnam KHUDOYDODOVA, born on 20 December 1986 in the city of Kulyab. She was arrested in the Republic of Belarus on 13 June 2015.

*We are not reporting about the cases of arrests in the EU countries and Turkey as requested by applicants.

• Missing individuals:

14. Ehson ODINAYEV, born on 12 June 1991. On 19 May 2015, he disappeared in the city of Sank-Petersburg, Russia in mysterious circumstances.

• Information is not available:

15. Oyatullo GILYAYEV, born in 1988 in the Lenin (currently Rudaki) District of Tajikistan. He was detained in the city of Novosibirsk. We do not have any further information about him.

Russia: Tajik blogger of the Group 24 Ehson Odinayev is missing

It has been 72 days since the disappearance of the blogger Ehson Odinayev more famous as Sarafrozi Olamafruz.

Ehson Odinayev

Ehson Sayfulloyevich Odinayev was born on 12 June 1991. He is a citizen of Tajikistan.

He has a secondary education. Since 2007, he has been living in Russia permanently. During the first years of his residency, he used to participate actively in public cultural events organised by the Embassy of Tajikistan in Moscow, as well as in the projects aimed at protection of the Tajik economic migrants.

When Odinayev faced injustice and felt the vulnerability against the repressive regime of Emomali Rakhmon, he took an active civil stand. In the last presidential elections, Odinayev voted for an alternative candidate. He became involved in protests organised by political opposition leaders.

Later, Ehson Odinayev became an activist of the Youth of Tajikistan for Revival movement, a member political organisation of the Group 24.

“On 19 May 2015, he left home located at 20 Tambov Street of St. Petersburg about 18.00, presumably heading to the Violet pharmacy in order to buy Aridzon – a medicine to relieve inflammation of his eye and did not return. His mobile phone is not answered, and he has not contacted anyone"- said a statement reporting the disappearance of missing Ehson Odinayev produced by his brother Vaysiddin Odinayev.

This report was submitted, on 23 May 2015, to the Frunze District, Sankt-Petersburg Department of the MIA of Russia. So far, there has been no news from the agencies of the Ministry Internal Affair.

For the last months before his disappearance, he secretly lived in his friend’s apartment. His family found eavesdropping devices planted there. They said that lately he often hinted to them that suspicious looking people were following him. When Ehson Odinayev’s brother and mother arrived at the apartment after his disappearance, they found that the place was illegally search. Ehson managed to leave a few signs which suggest to his suffering mother that he did not disappear of his own will. The protracted nature of the crisis.

Everyone who knows Ehson Odinayev personally believes that special services of Tajikistan, who have been long after him, are involved in his disappearance. Recently, Tajikistan declared him wanted by Interpol, accusing him of involvement in cybercrimes. These charges are politically motivated and cause serious doubts. Much points to the fact that this young and daring blogger irritates the corrupt government of Tajikistan with his open criticism.

The name of Sarafrozi Olamafruz is popular in the Internet, especially among the Tajik community. We offer you a partial list of the pages in social networks and opposition online publications:

https://www.facebook.com/anitdiktator.antidiktator?fref=ts

http://www.contact.az/docs/2015/Politics/071500123257ru.htm#.Vaa-d_ntmko

https://vk.com/guruhi24

http://www.tajinfo.org/peoplesarafroz/author/sarafroz

http://tajinfo.org/

http://www.tajinfo.org/peoplesarafroz/author/sarafroz

https://www.facebook.com/groups/platformatj/?__mref=message_bubble

https://www.facebook.com/groups/guruhi24/?__mref=message_bubble

https://www.facebook.com/groups/gruppa24/?__mref=message_bubble

Tajikistan launched an unprecedented crackdown on opponents of the Emomali Rakhmon regime. Intelligence agencies of the country are using illegal and violent methods:

— A leader of the Youth of Tajikistan for Revival movement Maksud Ibragimov was abducted in December 2014 in Moscow and illegally transported to Tajikistan. Under torture, he was forced to give a written evidence that he voluntarily returned home. On 24 July 2015, he was sentenced to 17 years imprisonment to be served in a maximum-security penal colony;

— A leader of the opposition organisation Group 24 Umarali Kuvatov, following several attempts, was first poisoned together with his wife and children and then shot in the head in March 2015 in Istanbul;

— There are numerous arrests and abductions of supporters of political opposition leaders and critics of the regime.

Tajik activists, even those who have Russian citizenship, are leaving the CIS countries and applying for international protection in the countries, which have ratified the UN Convention on the Status of Refugees. Actions of the intelligence agencies of Tajikistan are forcing them to do so. Those who remain in Russia and other CIS countries are forced to go underground. They no longer believe that lawyers and human rights activists can protect them. Many civil society activists of Tajikistan, especially those living abroad, feel vulnerable. They are urgently contacting the Association for Human Rights in Central Asia and international human rights organisations: HRW, NHC, Amnesty International and others.

Association for Human Rights in Central Asia (AHRCA) is extremely concerned about the disappearance of the Tajik blogger Ehson Odinayev. We urge the Russian government to create conditions for fair and objective investigation of this case.

The ineffectiveness of the domestic means of protection of human rights in Tajikistan and other CIS countries is an explanation for executions of the critics of Emomali Rakhmon’s regime. Urgent intervention of the international community to urge the government of Tajikistan to respect the fundamental human rights and freedoms is necessary.

Tajikistan officially reported that Maksud Ibragimov is sentenced to 17 years of imprisonment

The Ismoil Somoni District Court of the city of Dushanbe confirmed that a sentence was handed down against Maksud Ibragimov, a leader of the Youth of Tajikistan for Revival movement.

On 24 July 2015 he was sentenced to 17 years of imprisonment, not 13 years as we previously reported on 15 July 2015 in a press release “In Dushanbe Maksud Ibragimov a leader ofthe Youth of Tajikistan for Revival movement is sentenced”.

Maksud Ibragimov

Maksud Muhidinovich Ibragimov was born on 3 November 1977 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. He is a founder and Chairman of the Russian youth organisation "Youth of Tajikistan for Revival". He is a member of the governing Council of an opposition coalition "New Tajikistan", which includes the "Group 24".

In 2004 Maqsud Ibragimov renounced citizenship of Tajikistan and acquired citizenship of the Russian Federation. He has been in permanent residence in Russia for more than 10 years.

On 26 November 2014 Maksud Ibragimov was attacked in Moscow. He was stabbed, causing substantial damage his health.

According to his relatives, in January officers of the Metgorodok Department of the MIA arrested Maksud Ibragimov at his home. Later, he was brought to the Preobrazhensk Prosecutor’s Office of the city of Moscow. He submitted a complaint about his kidnapping in November and was released. When Maksud Ibragimov left the building of the Prosecutor’s Office, some unidentified men were waiting for him. Against his will, they took Maksud Ibrahimov to the airport and was sent to Dushanbe, undocumented, in the luggage compartment. Upon arrival, Ibragimov was forced under torture to say that he came to Tajikistan voluntarily.

The official statement issued by the press office of the Court reads “At the Court hearing on 24 June, Maksud Mukhidinovich Ibragimov was sentenced to 17 years of imprisonment. This individual is found guilty of committing series of crimes, under Articles 307, part 3 (Public Calls to Forcible Changing the Constitutional System of the Republic of Tajikistan committed on the instructions of hostilely incited organisations and representatives of foreign states);  307, part 2 (Public Calls to Forcible Changing the Constitutional System of the Republic of Tajikistan committed by an organised group); and part 1 (Public Calls to extremist activities and Organisation of extremist community); 187, part 1 (Organising of a criminal community for committing felonies or especially grievous crimes) and part 2 (Participation in a criminal community) of the Criminal Code of Tajikistan and is sentenced to 17 years of imprisonment to be served in a maximum security prison”.

We learned that Maksud Ibragimov is appealing against the Sentence.

Meanwhile, prosecution of the members of Youth of Tajikistan for Rival movement and the opposition Group 24, which are members of the New Tajikistan coalition continues.

Our previous publications on this topic:

            — press release "Belarus: imprisoned Shabnam Khudoydodova from Tajikistan was allowed to meet with a lawyer" dated 20 July 2015;

— press release "In Dushanbe Maksud Ibragimov a leader of the Youth of Tajikistan for Revival movement is sentenced " dated 15 July 2015;

— press release "A member of Group 24 of Tajikistan Shabnam Khudoydodova arrested in Belarus" dated 18 June 2015;

— press release "Turkey: Leader of the Tajik opposition Umarali Kuvatov murdered in Istanbul" dated 5 March 2015;

— press release "Arrests of the Tajik activists. In Moscow, Maksud Ibragimov is missing" dated 26 January 2015;

— press release "Turkey: the leader of «Group 24» Umarali Kuvatov faces a threat of extradition" dated 13 January 2015;

— press release" Turkey: the leader of «Goup 24» Umarali Kuvatov is detained" dated 20 December 2014;

— press release "Russia: an attempt on the life of a member of the Tajik opposition Maksud Ibragimov" dated 1 December 2014.

Belarus: imprisoned Shabnam Khudoydodova from Tajikistan was allowed to meet with a lawyer

On 14 July 2015 a Belorussian lawyer was able to meet her client Shabnam Khudoydodova, as reported by her sister Mijgona Khudoydodova.

Shabnam Khudoydodova

Shabnam Khayrulloevna KHUDOYDODOVA was born on 20 December 1986 in the city of Kulyab of the Tajikistan SSR. She has an underage daughter.

 In social networks, she actively supported the critical opinions of the political opposition of Tajikistan, she emphasised the need for democratic reforms in her home country. Whenever she could, Ms Hudoydodova participated in humanitarian rallies in support of Tajik migrant workers.

The arrested activist of the Group 24, declared in the wanted list by Tajikistan via Interpol, is in the Pre-trial Detention Centre (СИЗО) No.7 (of the MIA of Belarus). As it transpired, Shabnam was arrested on 13 June, not 15 June as we reported previously. For the initial three days, she was detained in the Temporary Detention Centre of the Border Control Services. Later, she was transferred to the Investigations Detention Centre in the city of Brest.

As we learned, Shabnam Khudoyberganova claimed asylum in Belarus and her application is pending. Shabnam has no complaints regarding the conditions of her detention and the way she is treated. She is extremely concerned about the threat of forced return to Tajikistan.

Association for Human Rights in Central Asia (AHRCA) welcomes granting access for the lawyer to represent Shabnam Khudoydodova. This is a very important step in ensuring the protection of her fundamental right to defence.

Our previous publications on this topic:

— press release "In Dushanbe a sentence is passed against Maksud Ibragimov, the leader of the Youth of Tajikistan for Revival movement» dated 15 July 2015;

— press release "Belarus: imprisoned Shabnam Khudoydodova of Tajikistan has not been given an access to a lawyer" dated 4 July 2015;

— press release "A member of Group 24 of Tajikistan Shabnam Khudoydodova arrested in Belarus" dated 18 June 2015;

— press release "Turkey: Leader of the Tajik opposition Umarali Kuvatov murdered in Istanbul" dated 5 March 2015;

— press release "Arrests of the Tajik activists. In Moscow, Maksud Ibragimov is missing" dated 26 January 2015;

— press release "Turkey: the leader of «Group 24» Umarali Kuvatov faces a threat of extradition" dated 13 January 2015;

— press release "Turkey: the leader of «Goup 24» Umarali Kuvatov is detained" dated 20 December 2014;

— press release " Russia: an attempt on the life of a member of the Tajik opposition Maksud Ibragimov" dated 1 December 2014.

The Supreme Court of Uzbekistan upheld the sentence against Murad Djuraev

A political prisoner Murad Djuraev exhausted all the stages of the appeal against the last sentence handed down on his case on 4 December 2012.

Murad  Djuraev

Murad Djuraev was born in 1952 in the town of Mubarak of the Kashkadarya region. He is ethnic Turkmen, married and has three children. He graduated from the Tashkent Polytechnic Institute. Between 1989 and 1992, he worked as the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the City Council of the town of Mubarek. Between 1991 and 1992, he was a Member of the Parliament of Uzbekistan.

He was accused of conspiring with the leader of the "Erk" opposition political party Muhammad Salih. According to the authorities, they wanted to organise a violent seizure of power.

Murad Djuraev has been in prison since 18 September 1994.

The last Court hearing against the political prisoner Murad Djuraev took place on 4 December 2012 in the town of Almalyk of the Tashkent region. He was sentenced to three years and 24 days of imprisonment under Part 2, paragraph (b) of Article 221 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan, “Disobedience to Legitimate Orders of Administration of Institution of Execution of Penalty”. This is his fourth conviction under the same Article of the Criminal Code and the fifth sentence since his first sentencing. Murad Djuraev has spent 21 year in prison; the maximum term of imprisonment in Uzbekistan is 25 years. You can find more details in our press release “Uzbekistan: Murad Djuraev is sentenced to another term of imprisonment of three years 24 days” dated 16 December 2012.

• Response of the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan in the case of Murad Djuraev

“Your complaint expressing your disagreement with the judicial decisions of the Supreme Court against M. Djuraev has been considered.

By the Sentence of the Almalyk City Criminal Court dated 4 December 2012, upheld by the Determination of the Tashkent Region Criminal Appeal Court dated 3 January 2013, M. Djuraev was convicted, under Article 221, Part 2 of paragraph "b" of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan, following the procedure laid down by Article 60 of the Criminal Code, to 3 years and 24 days of imprisonment.

In the complaint, there are allegations of illegality of the sentencing of M. Djuraev and therefore it raises the questions of repeal of the judicial decisions and termination of the criminal case on grounds of rehabilitation.

M. Djuraev’s guilt of the incriminating act was proved by the testimony of witnesses S. Djuraev, A. Umarov,, N. Abdurakhmanov, N. Rustamov, documents on disciplinary punishment and other evidence collected in the case.

The Court classified M. Djuraev’s action correctly, the punishment imposed is proportionate to the offense.

Reason for changing or repealing the Court’s Sentence are not established.

Deputy Chairman R. Obidov".

*   *   *

Murad Djuraev, who is now 63, was imprisoned on trumped-up charges. All court decisions are “frame ups” and support exclusively the case for the prosecution. In recent years, he has been particularly experiencing physical exhaustion and the constant humiliation of his human dignity. During the investigation, in 1994-95, he was tortured. His access to medical care is constantly restricted. No acts of humanism of the past 20 years helped his situation. In December 2015, the last sentence against Murad Djuraev expires, but so far, nothing indicates to the possibility of his release.

Association for Human Rights in Central Asia (AHRCA) urges all interested parties, the governments of democratic countries, human rights organisations and the media to draw attention to the case of Murad Djuraev and call on the leadership of the Republic of Uzbekistan to release him from prison.

Our previous materials about Murad Djuraev:

          - petition «On the Day of the 65th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights please support a petition for freedom of Uzbek political prisoner Murad Djuraev!» dated 9 December 2013;

         - press release «Uzbekistan: Red stripe on the case file of the political prisoner Murad Djuraev» dated 29 April 2013;

          - press release «Uzbekistan: An appeal against the sentence in the case of Murat Djuraev is rejected» dated 5 January 2013;

          - press release «Uzbekistan: Murad Djuraev is sentenced to another term of imprisonment of three years 24 days» dated 16 December 2012;

          - press release «Uzbekistan: Free Political Prisoners on Constitution Day. Use Anniversary to Advance Real Reform» dated 7 December 2012;

          - press release «Uzbekistan: ailing political prisoner Murad Djurayev is again placed in solitary confinement» dated 14 October 2012;

          - press release «It is not possible to find out the location of political prisoner Murad Djuraev for the last four months» dated 17 September 2009.

Uzbekistan: Decades of despair for prisoners sentenced on politically motivated charges

Prior to the examination by the UN Human Rights Committee of Uzbekistan’s 4th periodic report on the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Association for Human Rights in Central Asia (AHRCA) and International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) point to deterioration in the human rights situation in the country. 

Due to the absence of opportunities for effective public monitoring in Uzbekistan, it is difficult to comprehensively assess the human rights situation in the country. However, although the Uzbekistani authorities limit access to independent information by every possible means, AHRCA continues to receive reports of serious human rights violations, as documented in a joint report by AHRCA and IPHR prepared for the Human Rights Committee review. 

Torture, deaths in custody and deaths under suspicious circumstances are of great concern in Uzbekistan. Over the past five years, AHRCA has received information of 85 deaths in custody and various prison colonies, and was able to verify this information in 36 cases. In not one of these cases was an effective, objective investigation involving an independent medical assessment carried out and no one was held accountable. 

According to information obtained by AHRCA, prison conditions in Uzbekistan amount to torture and cruel treatment; with insufficient drinking water and food; heating and ventilation systems badly in need of repair; and inadequate provision of medical treatment and medicine. 

No effective, impartial investigation has taken place into the tragic events of 13 May 2005 in Andijan when government forces used firearms against mostly unarmed protesters in Bobur square. Since that time the witnesses to this tragedy living in Uzbekistan have been subjected to harassment and surveillance by the State Security Services (SNB). Those who live abroad have been deprived of the right to be reunited with their families. Refugees from Andijan fleeing to other CIS countries have in some cases been returned to their country of origin, in violation of the non-refoulement ban set out by international human rights law. Upon arrival in Uzbekistan, many of them are known to have been subjected to torture and sentenced to long periods of imprisonment. This was, for example, the fate of 70-year-old Andijan refugee Abdumutallib Kadirov and his 39-year-old son Abdunosir who were extradited from Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan in 2007. They were both sentenced to eight years imprisonment in unfair trials and this year their sentences were extended by another five and three years, respectively, for alleged violations of prison rules.  

The situation for other individuals imprisoned on politically motivated grounds also remains very difficult and the practice of arbitrarily extending the sentences of those whose original sentences are expiring is widely used. 

In an egregious example of this practice, former member of parliament Murad Dzhurayev has had his original prison sentence extended four times successively and has spent 21 years in prison, 12 of which were not part of his original sentence. For the last three years, Murad Dzhurayev’s relatives and lawyer have not been able to receive copies of one of the five sentences passed on him. His lawyer has not been able to see him since March this year. The defence has appealed the last sentence through all court instances, but the Supreme Court has yet to review it. Murad Dzhurayev was tortured during the investigation and in detention. While in poor health, he has not received the necessary medical examinations or treatment. 

Former editor-in-chief of the opposition newspaper Erk Muhammad Bekzhanov is currently serving a second prison term for allegedly violating prison rules. He has been in prison for the last 16 years after being tortured in detention and convicted in an unfair trial in 1999. His lawyer has not been able to see him since April 2015, despite having written permission from the authorities. Muhammad Bekzhanov suffers from a painful hernia but due to the deplorable medical facilities and lack of medicines in the prison hospital he is afraid of undergoing an operation there. 

No news has been received about imprisoned human rights defender Nuraddin Djumaniyazov since October 2014. His lawyer received official permission to visit him on 20 April 2015 but has not yet been allowed to see him.  Nuraddin Djumaniyazov is serving an 8-year sentence after being convicted in early 2014 of human trafficking after an unfair trial. He has been unable to obtain the necessary medication and food to treat his diabetes while in prison. In October 2014, AHRCA learned that Nuraddin Djumaniyazov had been admitted to the prison hospital but his current state of health is unknown. 

Murad Dzhurayev, Muhammad Bekzhanov and Nuraddin Djumaniyazov are all defended by lawyer Polina Braunerg. She has regularly received telephone threats for the last year and is under surveillance by the authorities. In retaliation for her professional activities, the Uzbekistani authorities banned her from travelling abroad in January 2015. Polina Braunerg is disabled after an illness and uses a wheelchair. The travel ban limits her choice of places of treatment. 

More information on these and additional issues is available in the joint report submitted by AHRCA and IPHR to the UN Human Rights Committee ahead of its review of Uzbekistan.

Download the English version of the report 

Download the French version of the report

A Russian translation of the report is forthcoming.

The Human Rights Committee review of Uzbekistan is scheduled to take place in Geneva on 8-9 July 2015. More information about the session of the Committee can be found here.  

Belarus: arrested Shabnam Khudoydodova of Tajikistan was not granted access to a lawyer

It has been ten day since the activist of Group 24 who is wanted by Interpol on behest of Tajikistan but she still does not have access to a lawyer in Investigations Detention Centre of the city of Brest.

Mijgona Khudoydodova, Shabnam’s sister reports that a lawyer has not been given access to speak to her. Shabnam Khudoydodova is isolated from information which is taking a tall on her moral.

Shabnam Hudoydodova

Shabnam Khayrulloevna KHUDOYDODOVA was born on 20 December 1986 in the city of Kulyab of the Tajikistan SSR. She has an underage daughter.

 In social networks, she actively supported the critical opinions of the political opposition of Tajikistan, she emphasised the need for democratic reforms in her home country. Whenever she could, Ms Hudoydodova participated in humanitarian rallies in support of Tajik migrant workers.

In recent years, Shabnam Hudoydodova lived in Russia. When she learned that her abduction in Russia was being prepared, Shabnam decided to leave the Russian Federation. On 15 June 2015, while crossing the Russian-Belorussian border control she was arrested in accordance with the request of Tajikistan because she is charged under Article 37 of the Criminal Code of Tajikistan (Criminal Liability of Accomplices).

Her lawyer is not given access to the Investigations Detention Centre to see Shabnam Khudoydodova because of lack of a permit from the Prosecutor General’s Office of Belorussia. This practice was abolished over a year ago as unlawful. However, the present case illustrates the practice is still applicable to cases under the international request for extradition.

The UN Committee on Human Rights qualifies a complete isolation from the outside world, especially in the case of a threat to his health and life as torture of the person arrested. If Ms Hudoydodova is to be extradited to Tajikistan, she may face torture, prolonged detention and separation from her young daughter.

Association for Human Rights in Central Asia (AHRCA) expresses its concern that:

— Shbnam Khudoydodova has no access to defence in Belorussia;

— she is cut off from the outside world, the conditions of her detention are damaging her health and comparable to torture;

In this regard, the Association for Human Rights in Central Asia urges the international observers in the area of human rights to call on Byelorussia to fulfil its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

This report was sent to:

— UN High Commissioner for Human Rights;

— UN High Commissioner for Refugees;

— Participants of the 24th session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Helsinki Final Act, the founding document of the OSCE (Helsinki, 4-8 July 2015).

Our previous publications on this topic:
           — press release "Belarus: imprisoned Shabnam Khudoydodova from Tajikistan was allowed to meet with a lawyer" dated  20 Juillette 2015;

— press release "A member of Group 24 of Tajikistan Shabnam Khudoydodova arrested in Belarus" dated 18 June 2015;

— press release "Turkey: Leader of the Tajik opposition Umarali Kuvatov murdered in Istanbul" dated 6 March 2015 ;

— press release "Arrests of the Tajik activists. In Moscow, Maksud Ibragimov is missing" dated 26 January 2015;

— press release "Turkey: the leader of «Group 24» Umarali Kuvatov faces a threat of extradition" dated 13 January 2015;

— press release "Turkey: the leader of «Goup 24» Umarali Kuvatov is detained" dated 20 December 2014;

— press release " Russia: an attempt on the life of a member of the Tajik opposition Maksud Ibragimov" dated 1 December 2014.