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