Uzbekistan: 6 picketers arrested, their whereabouts remain unknown

What is happening to the detainees, the reason for their isolation and whereabouts remain unknown. Urgent intervention of the international community is required.

On 29 January 2014, close to 20:00 hours, Shukhrat Nurmukhamedov, a police inspector and four employees of the Main Department of Internal Affairs of the city of Tashkent came to the house of photographer and documentarian Akhmedova. None of them presented themselves. They took Akhmedova and her son, the photographer Timur Karpov for "a conversation". They were not told the reason for detention or shown any documents justifying the detention. The police issued Summons for their detention only at the request of the detained. At about 22:00 hours Timur Karpov sent an SMS to his father that they were moved to Hamza District Department of the Internal Affairs. Most likely, they were first taken to the City Police Department, then the case was transferred to the Hamza District Police Department in accordance with place of residence of the detainees.

• Information about the detainees:             

Timur Karpov

Timur Karpov, was born on 23 January 1990 in Tashkent. Since October 2012 has been working as a photo editor at the Russian Internet publication «Lenta.ru».

Umida Akhmedova

Umida Akhmedova, was born on 21 October 1956 in the Parkent District of Tashkent Region. She is a photographer and documentarian, lives in Tashkent. She graduated from the School of Cultural and Enlightenment in Vladimir (department of photography and filming), and in 1986 the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography (RSIC).

She is the author of documentaries "The Burden of Virginity", "Women and Men in the Rites and Rituals" and the album "Women and Men from dusk till Dawn" for which, in February 2010, she was convicted on charges of "insulting" and "slander." The Court did not appointed a punishment as immediately after her conviction the Court pardoned Akhmedova.

            On the same day, 29 January, it was reported that four more people working in field of culture were detained:

Alexander Ulko

Alexander Ulko, was born on 29 February 1969 in Samarkand. Lives in Tashkent. Qualifications: Uzbek State University of World Languages (Tashkent) and College of St Mark and St John (Plymouth, United Kingdom). Teaches English at the British Council in Tashkent.

Ashot Danielyan

Ashot Danielyan, was born on 6 November 1983. Lives in Tashkent. Leader of the rock group «Wings of Origami».

Gulsum Usmanova. At this point we only know that she is from Baku.

Ilgar Gasimov. He is a talented musician.

• The detention of the creative authors was preceded by two events in which they all took part.

          On 25 January 2014 in Tashkent House of Photography at the initiative photo club "Neformat" a photo exhibition entitled "One Space" was presented. Timur Karpov was among the participants. He was presenting photographs from the series "Ghost Towns". His work was banned for the show two hours before the show opened at the behest of the two leaders of the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan - Chairman Akmal Nur and his deputy Ravshan Mirtadzhiev. The decision about censoring free creativity caused a conflict.

Once again, Uzbek authorities are unnecessarily restricting the freedom of artistic expression, in violation of the Constitution of Uzbekistan Article 29 (" Everyone has the right to freedom of thought , speech and expression") and Article 43 ("The State shall ensure the rights and freedoms embodied in the Constitution and the laws"). Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ("Everyone has the right to hold opinions without interference") also commits Uzbekistan to respect freedom of expression. The state has pledged not to interfere in artistic activities, but all who depict social problems in their work are persecuted.

          On 27 January 2014 all six, who were subsequently detained, took part in series of protests. The first of them took place at the Ukrainian Embassy in Tashkent – they showed their support of the pro-integration of Ukraine into the European Union protesters in Kiev on Evromaydan. The same day, the protesters visited the monument to Taras Shevchenko in Tashkent, where flags of Ukraine and Georgia were deployed. They also were at the Muslim complex of Hazrat (Hast) Imam. The participants of the event unfolded black and red flag, which is used by some activists in Evromaydan.

According to the AHRCA sources, the protesters did not disturb public order. They peacefully showed solidarity with the defenders of democratic values ​​in Kiev.

Uzbek authorities did not leave without attention this free expression of citizenship point of view by the "chronic offenders" of repressive order in Uzbekistan, their friendly relations with the freedom fighters in Ukraine and Georgia. Moreover, they are defiantly violating the right of all detainees to representation and access to accurate information.

The Association for Human Rights in Central Asia calls the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights of the European Union, international human rights organisations and diplomats of democratic countries to intervene immediately to ensure:

      – humane treatment of detained protesters in Tashkent;

      – access to information about their whereabouts;

 – unhindered access to their lawyer;

Happy New year! Bonne année! С Новым годом!

Kazakhstan: Free jailed oil workers!

In partnership with the Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Kazakhstan (KSPK), with the support of the Confederation of Labour of Russia, IndustriAll GlobalUnion, the International Union of Food Workers (IUF) and the Association for Human Rights in Central Asia.

On December 16, 2011, the six-month standoff between striking oil workers and the KazMunaiGas corporation in the western Kazakhstan town of Zhanaozen escalated from a labour dispute into rioting, violence and the disproportionate use of force by law-enforcement bodies. This occurred with the complicity of the authorities, who stood idly by. This resulted in the death of seventeen and the wounding of several dozen people, including both protesting oil workers and innocent bystanders. Thirty seven people were tried, many of them receiving prison sentences. Seven remain in custody today: Tanatar Kaliev, Shabdal Utkilov, Talgat Saktaganov, Naryn Dzharilgasinov, Kanat Zhusipbaev, Maksat Dosmagambetov and Roza Tuletaeva. 

Civil society organizations in Kazakhstan, including the trade unions, have called on the government to amend legislation that stipulates liability for "inciting social discord." They want to make sure that such legislation is not used selectively to apply pressure on human rights activists and public figures, or trade unionists advocating legitimate demands with regard to labour relations.

The struggle for the release of the imprisoned oil workers is now being conducted by the free trade unions of Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Georgia. They are supported by their counterparts worldwide. This is not only a struggle for justice for individuals. It is a struggle for the right of all workers in Kazakhstan to unite, to strike and to struggle for decent working conditions, freedom of expression and a decent life.

________________________________
You can help! LabourStart 

http://www.labourstartcampaigns.net/show_campaign.cgi?c=2092&src=lsmm

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!

Murad Djuraev is in prison for nearly 20 years. He sufferers for speaking out critically against dictator Islam Karimov. He was tortured and repeatedly placed in solitary confinement. He is serving the fifth consecutive term of imprisonment on trumped-up charges.

Murad Djuraev,
1994

Murad Djuraev was born in 1952 in Mubarek city in Kashkadarya region. He is married and has three children. He graduated from the Tashkent Polytechnic Institute. From 1989 to 1992 he served as the chair of the Executive Committee of the City Council of Mubarek City. Between 1991-1992 he was a member of Parliament of Uzbekistan. Murad Djuraev was accused of conspiring with the leader of the “Erk” opposition political  party, Mukhammad Solih. According to the authorities, Solih and Djuraev tried to organise a violent coup. Since 18 September 1994 Murad Djuraev has been in prison.

On 31 March 1995 Murad Djuraev was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment, to be served in a strict regime penal colony, and confiscation of property. On the basis of an amnesty, the sentence was reduced by three years.

Shortly before the end of his sentence term on 27 July 2004, Djuarev was convicted on trumped-up charges under Article 221 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan «Disobedience to the legal demands of the administration of the penal institution» for yet another three years of imprisonment. The same happened on 27 July 2006 when his, then, last sentence term was coming to the end; the prisoner was given an additional three years of imprisonment under Article 221 of the Criminal code of Uzbekistan. On 31 May 2009, using the same Article, his prison term was again extended by three years and four months. Among other reasons given – the punishment was given because he “improperly peeled carrots,” while working in the kitchen. On 13 November 2012, he completed his fourth sentence. On 4 December 2012, Murad Djuraev was sentenced again to three years and 24 days, once again under the Article 221 of the Criminal Code of Republic of Uzbekistan.

The Association for Human Rights in Central Asia urges you to sign a petition in support of freedom for Murad Djuraev who is subjected to torture, imprisonment and taken away from his loved ones.

Murad Djuraev remains faithful to the ideals of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Please send your signature in support to asiecentrale@neuf.fr or sign the online petition at "For freedom of Uzbek political prisoner Murad Djuraev!” 

Open letter to the EU Special Representative for Central Asia

Mrs. Patricia Flor

European Union Special Representative for Central Asia

European External Action Service

1046 Brussels

Belgium

Berlin, 04/12/2013

Dear Mrs. Flor,

We are writing today to present the Cotton Campaign’s findings on the continuing use of forced labor of children and adults in the cotton harvest 2013 in Uzbekistan and to express our serious concern about the continued widespread and gross violations that Uzbek citizens are exposed to by the government of Uzbekistan. Please find enclosed the report of November 27, 2013. We ask the EU to conduct a robust and transparent human rights policy towards Uzbekistan in accordance with the EU Strategic Framework on Human Rights, and to assess Tashkent’s compliance with specific benchmarks which will allow it to effectively measure progress.

We furthermore would like to bring to your attention the fact that during the last several months, human rights activists living in Europe are being threatened by the Uzbek government (see below for further information). We call on the EU to protect human rights activists in Europe with all appropriate means, especially through expressing state concern publicly and in meetings with the Uzbek government.

As you are aware, the human rights situation in Uzbekistan is appalling. State use of torture continues systematically, which was confirmed recently by the November 2013 Conclusions of the United Nations Committee against Torture (CAT) following its review of the country. The Uzbek government interfered with the standard working procedures of the International Committee of the Red Cross to such an extent, including making impossible confidential visits with detainees and prisoners, that the organization took the rare step in April 2013 to announce publicly it had been forced to terminate its prison visits.

Eight years after the Andijan massacre with hundreds of largely peaceful protesters killed by Uzbek government forces, none of the responsible government representatives have been held accountable.

Only recently, the deaths of two persons in prison were reported to the public. According to the media service Uznews.net, on June 12, 2013, in Namangan region, the 28-year-old Muzaffar Karimov died of a „traumatic brain injury“ shortly after being arrested on suspicion of theft.

According to BBC O´zbek, on November 15, 2013, the authorities returned the body of a 36-year-old Tavakkal Hojiev from Andijan. He was sentenced in September 2005 to 17 years in prison, after having participated at the demonstration in Andijan that preceded the state’s use of deadly force.

Also, Uzbek citizens are denied their right to freedom of expression. The government does not allow independent media to operate in the country. Journalists which publish in independent journals are systematically harassed, imprisoned or forced to leave the country. The authorities arrested and detained independent journalist Sergei Naumov, who had frequently reported on forced labor, for 12 days. Likewise, all international human rights organizations have been shut down.

This year, the Uzbek government has gone to great lengths to threaten and punish Uzbek human rights activists living abroad. In July 2013, Tashkent city criminal court sentenced France based Mrs. Nadejda Atayeva, head of the Association for Human Rights in Central Asia (AHRCA) to six years of imprisonment in a penal colony. In addition, the National Security Service harassed and intimidated relatives of Mrs. Umida Niyazova, head of the Uzbek-German Forum for Human Rights (UGF). Both are co-writers of this letter.

As can be seen from the Cotton Campaign report, the situation in the cotton fields remains worrying as well: This fall, the Uzbek government coercively mobilized more than a million citizens, including children, to cultivate and pick cotton. The government systematically mobilized children aged 15 to 17 and adults throughout the country, and authorities mobilized even younger children in some places.

Forced child labor was organized through the state education system, under threat of expulsion from school. Public- and private-sector workers were forced to pick cotton under threat of losing their jobs.

Authorities transported students from the schools to the fields in public buses, and students and adults who were deployed to pick cotton far from their homes were housed in schools and other public buildings, often at the expense of the people being forced to pick cotton.

Eleven citizens lost their lives as a result of the forced-labor system this year. The tragic losses included Tursunali Sadikov, a 63-year old farmer who died of a heart attack after being beaten by an official of the Department of Internal Affairs, and Amirbek Rakhmatov, a six-year schoolboy who accompanied his mother to the cotton fields, napped in a trailer, and suffocated when cotton was loaded on top of him.

As the report details, the government took extensive measures to whitewash labor rights violations to create the impression of voluntary work in the cotton fields. Prior to the harvest, the government inserted a clause in contracts for public-sector workers making work in the cotton harvest a condition of employment. School administrators required students and parents to sign commitments at enrollment that students would pick cotton. Throughout the country, authorities instructed children at schools and adults in their workplaces and communities to report to foreigners that they picked cotton “voluntarily” and “for the love of the motherland.” As in previous years, the government silenced Uzbek human rights monitors through arrest, imprisonment and intimidation.

The Uzbek government also took extensive measures to mislead the international community and create the impression that improvements have been made in terms of child labor and forced labor.

Thus, the government builds on its long-standing practice to deny its role orchestrating the forced labor system, claim that new policies are in place, and refuse to end the human rights violations.

The EU should not be deceived by Tashkent’s misrepresentations, while it continues systematic torture, forced labor and harassment of citizens who claim their rights under the law. In recent years, the EU referred to successes in the framework of the EU-Uzbekistan human rights dialogue as well as its establishment of a permanent diplomatic mission in Tashkent, yet the human rights situation has continued to deteriorate.

The Uzbek government has not taken any meaningful steps to improve the human rights situation. It is incumbent on the EU to put forward specific requirements expected from the Uzbek authorities, as we and other human rights organizations have consistently highlighted.

With this letter we ask you as the Special Representative for Central Asia to review the Central Asia strategy. The Uzbek government has not used the time granted to it to undertake substantial reforms.

The human rights dialogue with Uzbekistan began in 2007, and Uzbek citizens have not experienced a substantial improvement in the six years since. The government’s continued and systematic use of forced labor in the cotton fields again demonstrates that the government maintains its position of denial instead of really sincerely pursuing reforms.

The Uzbek government’s disregard for its international human rights commitments can no longer be tolerated by the international community. Thus, we strongly urge the EU to revise the EU-Central Asia Strategy, specifically to: 

• Set conditions and benchmarks and clearly articulate the specific reform steps. Such steps have already been formulated by EU foreign ministers, in the context of the sanctions process, most recently in October 2010, but are currently not being actively enforced. These human rights criteria, listed below, should form the core standards against which the EU measures its relationship with Tashkent.

• Engage in sustained and active policy follow-up at all levels to secure compliance with the benchmarks, especially at the highest levels – including in EU member states’ bilateral relations. This entails raising human rights concerns at every opportunity, including publicly, to make clear the central role of the human rights demands in the relationship. 

• Impose policy consequences if reform expectations are not met. EU member states should set a clear timeline for the government to heed, once and for all, the EU’s human rights criteria or face concrete consequences, including the prospect of renewed restrictions on its relationship. The European Parliament set a positive example in December 2011, rejecting a proposed reduction of EU textile tariffs for Uzbekistan until the government grants access for international monitors for its cotton harvest and takes concrete steps to end forced child labor, introducing much-needed conditionality in the EU-Uzbekistan relationship.

• Consider instituting targeted restrictive measures, including visa bans on individual Uzbek officials implicated in serious abuses, if progress is not made.

We reiterate that the government of Uzbekistan must immediately:

1. Immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners, including imprisoned human rights activists, journalists, and peaceful opposition activists and religious believers;

2. Grant all UN special rapporteurs who have requested access to visit Uzbekistan immediate access to the country, after denying their entry since 2003;

3. Allow Human Rights Watch and other international human rights NGOs to return to the country and to carry out independent monitoring of the human rights situation.

4. Allow freedom of the press, including opening airwaves to Ozodlik radio, BBC, Deutsche Welle and other media agencies;

5. Allow an international independent investigation into the May 2005 Andijan massacre.

6. Stop the forced labor of adults and children in the cotton sector.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Uzbek German Forum for Human Rights, UGF

Association for Human Rights in Central Asia, AHRCA

INKOTA-netzwerk

European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, ECCHR

In memory of Natalya Gorbanevskaya

In my email contacts list, a "green circle" next to the name of Natalya Gorbanevskaya is no longer illuminated.

Natalya Gorbanevskaya

Natalya Yevgenyevna Gorbanevskaya died on 29 November 2013.

In Wikipedia it says about her: Russian poet, translator, human rights activist, member of the dissident movement in the USSR.

I was introduced to Natalya Yevgenyevna by her son Yaroslav Gorbanevsky, a Russian correspondent of Radio France International service. In 2007, our Association for Human Rights in Central Asia issued a petition for collection of signatures in support of the Uzbek human rights activist Umida Niazova . Everyone who learned this story was shocked that Umida was sent to jail in Uzbekistan using a provocateur and her infant son ended up in Kyrgyzstan. Umida was under a threat of a long-term imprisonment, her son was constantly crying and called for his mother. Soon after this petition was issued, Natalya Gorbanevskaya sent us a short message: "Please put my signature on the petition in defense of Umida Niazova and keep me informed on the news on this case". A few hours later we received the signature of the writer and former political prisoner Vladimir Bukovsky. He explained that he had received the petition from Natalya Gorbanevskaya. Then we received a few more signatures of people who were referred by Natalya Yevgenyevna.

Natalya Yevgenyevna took a very close interest in her story until Umida Niyazova was freed and she was very glad when Umida and her son were reunited.

In February of this year, I sent her another petition "No second Andijan tragedy!". We had some time discussing this topic in the chat online, and then she helped us to collect signatures of dissidents.

Each time, turning to her for support, I knew that I would have to explain the reasons for making the petition and who it was aimed at. She did not always agree with our wording and offerred her constructive criticism. For me personally and for many members of the Board of our Association, Natal Yevgenyevna’s support was very important, her confidence was passed on to us. She knew how to defend a position, and was a person of principle.

I often read Natalia Gorbanevskaya’s blog to learn her opinion about various events. In my library, I have a collections of her poetry, a few of her poems I know by heart.

I will remember her with gratitude. Natalia Yevgenyevna supported us in our work and struggle for the liberation of Uzbek political prisoners. She helped us, the citizens of Uzbekistan, to feel the power of social influence on the regime for which human life has no value.

Natalia Gorbanevskaya lived a difficult and legendary life.

We cherish her memory.

France-Uzbekistan: Political prisoner Muhammad Bekzhan received the “Journalist 2013” award of "Reporters without Borders"

Speech at the “Journalist 2013" Award Ceremony at the international organisation "Reporters Without Borders"

The “Journalist 2013” 

award of international organisation 

“Reporters without Borders”

I am especially proud for Muhammad Bekjan. He has earned the recognition and respect of the international community. In 1990 Bekjan became chief editor of the "Erk" – a newspaper published by the first opposition political party "Erk"in Uzbekistan. From day one, this newspaper raised questions discussion of which in Uzbekistan is still prohibited. They are: privatisation of land, de-monopolisation of the economy, the abolition of forced labour, the causes of self-immolation of women, the consequences of the Aral Sea ecological disaster, etc.

Under the leadership of Muhammad Bekjan, a network of correspondents was created, which included not only famous writers and poets, scholars and human rights activists, but also ordinary residents of provinces of Uzbekistan. The newspaper unites people who believe in their ideas and gives an objective picture of events. It is known that the "Erk" newspaper is kept in many homes of ordinary Uzbeks for a number of years as proof that one can write about the truth openly!

An ordeal fell on Muhammad Bekjan. In February 1999, he was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment. In 2003 the sentence was reduced by three years and eight months. In January 2012, a month before his release, he was again sentenced to imprisonment for 4 years and 8 months. In total, the term imposed on him is 19 years. Bekjan was twice convicted on trumped-up charges and repeatedly tortured. All these years he is detained in conditions amounting to torture. Muhammad Bekjan has been suffering from a severe form of tuberculosis for many years. But his access to medical care is limited; moreover, his diagnosis does not reflect the severity of the disease, so the limited treatment he is receiving is ineffective. The repressive system is damaging his health to intimidate all who wish to express their opinions openly.

Not everyone, under these conditions, can maintain independence and adhere to the principles of transparency and fairness. Muhammad Bekjan is undergoing these challenges with dignity. Being awarded the prize of a prestigious organisation as "Reporters without Borders" is a moral support not only for him, but also for his family and the readers of the newspaper "Erk". Bekjan’s case shows that freedom of speech is in danger and needs a support from the international community.

In Uzbekistan, besides Muhammad Bekjan, the following people are sentenced to lengthy prison terms:

— Yusuf Ruzimurdov, a correspondent of the “Erk” newspaper  — sentenced to15 years;

— Dilmurad Sayid, a freelance journalist specialising in investigative journalism of corruption cases — sentenced to 12,5 years. He suffers from a severe form of TB;

— Gayrat Makhliboev, a correspondent of the “Huriyat” newspaper — sentenced to 12 years. He was tortured during the investigation of his case;

— Salijon Abdurakhmanov, a correspondent of the online publication “Uznews.net”— sentenced to 10 years. He is severely ill, if kept in custody any longer, this may result in irrecoverable damage to his health.

Khayrullo Hamidov, a sports commentator of the Uzbek television, journalist of the “Chamrion” newspaper, radio “Navruz” and Ravshanbek Vafoev, Botirbek Eshkuziev, Bahrom Ibragimov, Davron Kabilov, correspondents of a religious newspaper “Irmok”, are still in custody.

Many independent journalists are forced to leave Uzbekistan threatened with arrest for criminal cases.

Recent emigration of Elena Bondar received a wide publicity. In September 2013, a freelance reporter of "Ferghana.Ru", Sergei Naumov was arrested for 12 days on an absurd and false administrative proceedings. He served his sentence in heavy sanitary conditions and had to undergo a treatment for two months.

In Uzbekistan, there are no independent media, because Uzbek authorities have established a system of suppression of freedom of speech. After the Andijan tragedy European and American media lost their accreditation; the citizens of Uzbekistan cooperating with the Western media are brought under a total control. Even those who are officially working for the Uzbek services of BBC and "Radio Liberty" in the European countries are not always able to visit their family in Uzbekistan. There are cases when the Uzbek TV proclaimed them "detractors of the Motherland" or "enemies of the people”.

I believe that giving this prestigious award to Muhammad Bekjan will resonates with all people of good will and give a new impetus to the struggle for his and other journalist’s liberation.

Nadejda Atayeva

A journalist from Sri Lanka E. Saravanapavan wrote on the poster: 

“Dear Muhammed Bekzhan! I will remember you and will do everything for your release.

Remember, a pen is stronger than a dictatorship”.