Saodat Abduzakirova: "Here's another truth for you!" #COVID-19

On the Facebook page of Saodat Abduzakirova, the leader of the Public Association for Social Mutual Support and Human Welfare “Yangi Hayot” published on October 19, 2020, an outcry appeal whose name is not disclosed for security reasons.

Saodat Abduzakirovania wrote: This was sent to me as personal message! Here's another truth for you!

Gentlemen from the Ministry of Health, how do you like it? The clinic Zangiota has been working for half a year, it has been mess and still is! This was personally messaged to me! Here is one more truth! 

Hello Dear Saodat! 

I apologize for contacting you. But I don't know where to write anymore. I wrote to the presidential portal, but no answer. And I beg you to read it! Cry from the heart! Can't be silent! Start from beginning! My mother-in-law felt unwell and had slight increase in temperature on 09/28/2020, called to request a doctor come visit for check up, the Multidisciplinary District Polyclinic at the Republican Society of Sergeli District Branch , located at the address: Tashkent, Sergeli District, Sergeli-2 31A block. But she was told: "Come yourself." My mother-in-law, an elderly person, obediently came to the clinic herself, where, after examining her, she was sent to do an x-ray of her lungs, to another clinic, the

Central Polyclinic No. 37 of the Sergeli District. The next day, 09/29/2020, having come for an x-ray, she stood in line for 3 hours! She was x-rayed and told that it would be ready in 5 days!  The next day 09/30/2020 her condition got worse, a cough appeared and her blood pressure dropped. On the same day, my father-in-law also had a fever, and she called the polyclinic again, where they prescribed Ciprofloxacin and Acyclovir by phone, and they simply said, "Take pills". No dosage, no prescribed prescription form! The worst thing is that she began to take them and next day, 02.10.20e0 closer to noon, she got more ill, the cough intensified and the pressure rose. The father-in-law just had a fever, no coughing.

I called the clinic myself and began to simply beg for help and call a doctor. They told me: "Wait, the doctor will be there." We waited for a few more hours, towards evening I called again, they said: "That's it, the doctor is coming to you." But the doctor never came! And she didn't even call! Although we left all the phone numbers. Why they would promise and give empty hopes? After all, my in-laws are elderly people, they were waiting until late the promised doctor! Of course, I called an ambulance myself. The first ambulance arrived, the doctor, having examined her and father-in-law, said that it was not critical, gave an injection of a lytic mixture from the temperature, and advised to do multispiral computed tomography of the lungs and call a local doctor, and left. 

But my mother-in-law immediately gets worse, and with huge rage I call the ambulance again and call again another brigade. Another ambulance arrived, after examining my in-laws, they urgently hospitalized my in-laws in Zangiota hospital number 1, assuring that they treat very well there, this is a specialized hospital. Having done MSCT there, they revealed more than 25% of lung lesions with a saturation of 94 in both. They put in-laws in different units. And here the HELL began! It is impossible to reach neither the unit or the doctor by phone! We communicated with the mother-in-law through her phone. There was no connection with the father-in-law. Not a single phone in their call center answers! The next day, with great shortness of breath, my mother-in-law got hold of  the phone of her doctor. I phoned him, and he immediately told me to bring the medicine. I found them (for a total cost of about 2 million soums), but that's not the point. I brought the medicine. Along the way, I was looking for my father-in-law. Through the gate, through some window near this damned hospital, I finally found the cell where my father-in-law was. After struggles, on the 3rd day in the same window, I begged for the phone number of his doctor.

I phoned, the doctor said that he was doing well, we would watch him and release him. On the same day, my mother-in-law is transferred to the intensive care unit on a ventilator. She could no longer breathe on her own, and her saturation dropped to 84. This was on the third day in the hospital! No one picks up the phone in intensive care! Somehow, I got through to my mother-in-law. She could hardly breathe, said that the medications that were prescribed to her caused an allergic reaction (my mother-in-law tells me this! Not the doctor!) I asked her to ask the doctor's number, but no one gave her the number. I asked if she was injected with drugs, she said, yes, stabbed with injections me all over, not knowing what exactly being injected. This lasted again 3 days. During these three days, my father-in-law's attending physician himself calls me and says that his sugar level has increased to 25, he fell into a coma, and we are transferring your father to intensive care. How? This man has never had a high sugar level. 

The next two days on weekend, I endlessly called the intensive care unit, but NO ONE picked up the phone. I went there myself, but even in the window they could not find out any news to me. Finally, on Monday, I could reach through, and the doctor said that my father-in-law was in critical condition, that I needed to bring medication and a glucometer to measure blood sugar. I found these medicines and a glucometer in Kibray and handed them over to the transfer point of this hospital. After that, for the rest of the day I called to find out how my father-in-law's condition was, and whether these medications reached. But again, NOBODY! Nobody picked up the phone. The next morning, I started calling all the phones again, and when I finally got through, I found out that my father-in-law had passed away the day before. He came on his feet! No high blood sugar! No shortness of breath! Only fever! How was he killed? On the same day, my mother-in-law felt better, and she called me and asked me to bring something dairy and $50. What for? What kind of non-human asked old woman on a ventilator to bring $ 50? I asked her to find out the doctor's number. I brought and handed over food to her, waiting for the doctor's number to talk about money. In the same place, I went to the morgue for a certificate of the death offather-in-law. But even more NON-HUMANS work there! People are standing under the high gates. Many people. For several hours, or even days. It turns out that you can get a certificate and the body released in 3 hours for $ 500! This is incomprehensible! If not, then wait for more. With a scandal I received this certificate in the evening after closing hours, I said that I would not go anywhere without a certificate, having stood there since noon, intimidated them by the prosecutor's office in order to make a death certificate the next morning and arrange the burial. The next day, running from the registry office to the cemetery, I called both the intensive care unit and the mother-in-law herself about her health, she picked up her phone and said that she felt worse. I started calling the emergency phone, but NOBODY picks up the phone again! The next day, from early in the morning, I again call both my mother-in-law and the intensive care unit. After noon, finally picking up the phone, they told me that my mother-in-law was in critical condition, her oxygen saturation dropped to 50. And half an hour later they called back and said that she had died. WHY? She, too, came on her feet, short of breath. Saturation 94! I am in  tears, tearing apart from pain and powerlessness! And only one question WHY? And again, with a scandal, I obtained a certificate for her. The morgue is a separate topic! At one gate, under which the relatives of the deceased are standing, they release corpses and garbage from the units, from here they issue certificates, and from here the relatives take the bodies, standing in full ANTI-SANITARY conditions for several hours, or even the whole day.

We were invited into the courtyard of the morgue to take bodies, where some corpses are taken out for identification, goodbye and release, and other corpses are immediately brought from the units of this damned hospital. While we were identifying and saying goodbye, they brought in 3 new corpses! New carts with corpses. In 15 minutes! Corpses with notes of name and surname lie on the floor, people step over them and look for their deceased ones. THIS IS NON-HUMAN! THEY ARE NON-DOCTORS! They all, starting with the district clinic, killed, KILLED our parents. What's injected there?  Why do people DIE? Since the opening of the hospital, there are more than a thousand death certificates, we have certificates 905 and 950 with a difference of 1.5 days! Now the number has exceeded 1000. We had a very friendly family. I lived with them for 23 years, and these people became so dear to me! They loved us and our children! Their son, my husband, was away, he is a freight carrier, came to the funeral of his parents. It's scary to look at him! We were all orphaned overnight! In 10 days! In the hospital? Where people should be saved! Why? Advise me. Help! I understand that you can't bring your parents back. But this negligence and inhumanity must be stopped! Where to write ABOUT THIS MESS? Which door to knock on? SCREAM OF PAIN! I’m TORN INSIDE FROM PAIN AND POWERLESSNESS!

(Before reposting, the punctuation and spelling mistakes of the text were corrected)

Torture continues in Uzbekistan

- this is the conclusion reached by the Association for Human Rights in Central Asia (AHRCA) and this is confirmed by reports from the prisoners of colony No. 4 of the GUIN of the Navoi region of Uzbekistan who are asking for help from the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.  Respecting their right to be heard, we publish this letter openly, thus wishing to destroy all obstacles created by those who continue to torture and those who cover up such crimes.  And another thing is important, to understand how soon Mirziyoyev will hear the call for help, he who uses all public platforms to declare his commitment to democracy and human rights.

Lettre: 

"On 24 April 2020, prisoners Gairat Karimov (born in 1986 in Tashkent), Farrukh Omonov (born in Kashkadarya), Sayfiddin Ortikov (born in the Chirchik District), Erkin Mirzamakhmudov (born in Namangan), Ozod Komilov (born in Samarkand) were accused of gross violation of quarantine rules and then transferred from the Penal Colony No. 5 to the Penal Colony No. 4.

Erkin Bobokulov, head of the operational unit of the Penal Colony No. 5, accompanied them in their journey from one penal colony to the other.

Upon arrival at the Penal Colony No. 4, they were all searched one by one, and then the head of the Penal Colony No. 4, Lieutenant Colonel Sunnat Dustboev, took them to his office, where the head of the operational unit of the Penal Colony No. 4, Dilmurod (his last name was not given),  an officer in charge of discipline, Laziz (his last name was not given) and an officer of the operational unit, Jasur were present, and said: “You went on a hunger strike during quarantine”.

An office from the production department called Saidullo and the officer of operative unit called Jasur handcuffed all five prisoners, and then began beating them with all their might. The prisoners began to explain that they did not go on a hunger strike, but were fasting on the first day of the Holy month of Ramadan. In response to this, the head of the colony No. 4, Sunnat Dustboev, said: "I was ordered by the head of the Penal Colony No. 5, Major Vosit Rustamov. His assistant, Maruf Abdullaev, informed me about this." Following this, all the aforementioned persons participated in beating the prisoners with rubber truncheons until they bled, and then, they were placed in punitive isolation cells for fifteen days as a disciplinary measure. On the same day, the beaten prisoners informed the guards of the isolation ward that they had been tortured and they wanted to file a complaint about it and register it officially, but these "military officers" (as the author refers to the security service) answered them: "There is no registration of complaints here and “kolonka” (this is a prison slang for the word colony), Dustboev himself is a tough and cruel man, and no one dares to complain about him. If we now accept and register a complaint, we will all be fired from our work tomorrow". That was the reason why the fact of prisoners sustaining bodily harm was not recorded. Two days later, six prisoners, who were again transferred from the Penal Colony No. 5, were beaten with truncheons. We only know names of Zhurabek Pulatov from the Turakurgan District of the Namangan Region and Zafar Ismailov from the city of Tashkent, we do not know the names of the others prisoners. S. Dustboev, continues torturing and beating prisoners in this manner grossly violating the Constitution of Uzbekistan, neglecting the policy pursued by our President Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyayev, abusing his official powers, violating the laws!

In May 2020, another 20 prisoners were also transported from the Penal Colony No. 5, and they too were beaten in the same way. According to reports that reached us, the old days continue in the Penal Colony No. 4 and no positive changes are visible.

In the Penal Colony No. 4, 90% of officers treat prisoners in a sneering manner, insulting and humiliating their dignity. We are constantly receiving such complaints from the 31 inmates mentioned above. We have never acted against our dear President. On the contrary, we fast on the days of Ramadan and pray for our President, but we are severely tortured, beaten for this and then forced to write that "we have no problems”.

Shavkat Miromonovich, we really need your help. We are all interested in the policies that you are pursuing and are following this process. We ask you to send your trusted people to the institution No. 4 of the Navoi Region Main Department of Corrections and to make public everything that is happening here”.

The translation of the letter from Uzbek into Russian and English is prepared by the Association for Human Rights in Central Asia. 

Uzbekistan: Cease legal harassment of human rights defender

In Uzbekistan, a criminal case has been opened against experienced human rights defender Tatyana Dovlatova, leader of the Open Line Initiative Group, in a move that appears intended solely to disrupt her legitimate human rights work, the Association for Human Rights in Central Asia (AHRCA), the International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC), said in a statement today. The groups called on the authorities in Tashkent to quash the criminal case, and guarantee Dovlatova and all other human rights defenders, full operational freedom for their human rights work.

Dovlatova told the undersigning groups that on 25 August, the special prosecutor of Zangiata District of Tashkent telephoned her and demanded she come to his office in relation to an alleged complaint against her. The prosecutor strongly insisted that she come, and, atypically, offered to reimburse her transportation costs. As she did not have a lawyer at the time, and had not received an official summons and thus was not required by law to comply with the prosecutor’s demands, Dovlatova chose not to go to the prosecutor’s office.

“The criminal case against Tatyana Dovlatova has one goal and one goal only – to put a stop to the activities of this tireless human rights defender and to shut off the flow of credible information she regularly collects about routine human rights violations”, said Nadejda Atayeva, President of the Association of Human Rights in Central Asia. “Tashkent must immediately lift these politically motivated barriers obstructing Dovlatova’s activities, cease the legal harassment of her, and allow her to carry out her important and valuable work”.

During the phone call, the prosecutor informed Dovlatova that two prisoners of the settlement colony No. 42 had allegedly filed a complaint against her, claiming that Dovlatova had photographed them during one of her work-related monitoring visits to the settlement colony and posted the pictures in social media without their consent. Dovlatova regularly visits settlement colonies, which house convicts sentenced to short terms of imprisonment and are open for visitors. Monitoring the conditions in which they are held is an essential part of Dovlatova’s human rights work. During these visits, inmates regularly approach Dovlatova and seek her help, as the publicity she provides often helps to resolve or alleviate their plights. She regularly uncovers cases of torture, harsh labour conditions, medical emergencies etc. When relevant government bodies fail to act on her written official statements, Dovlatova publishes her findings relying on support from the public and international organizations.

Talking to the undersigned organizations, Dovlatova underlined that all prisoners had talked to her voluntarily and had agreed to being photographed. Dovlatova also said that she has reasons to believe that the two prisoners who filed the complaint against her did so under duress. One of them reportedly admitted to fellow inmates that the settlement colony administration had forced her to write the complaint. On 7 September, after she said that she would withdraw the complaint against Davlatova, this same prisoner was reportedly placed in a punishment cell by order of the Deputy Head of the settlement colony.

 “Our colleague Tatyana Dovlatova’s efforts to document grave violations of prisoners’ rights provide excellent input which the authorities could use to implement the necessary changes to the penal system. Sadly, we see that Tashkent prefers to suppress the information she collects from places of detention. ,” said Gunnar Ekeløve-Slydal, acting Secretary General of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee. “The Uzbekistani authorities must cease all persecution and harassment of human rights defenders, and instead view them as partners in the ongoing reforms. No meaningful and sustainable reforms can take place without a free civil society and the contribution of human rights defenders.”

When Tatyana Dovlatova sought clarification about the allegations from the settlement colony in question, she was told that the prisoners were no longer allowed to talk to her and that the colony administration refused to answer any of her questions. Dovlatova has been regularly visiting various penitentiary institutions in Uzbekistan since 2011 – this is the first time that the administration of the penal colony in question has obstructed her work.

In her work, Dovlatova has uncovered many cases of human rights violations, ranging from torture and attempted rape to forced labour, non-payment of pensions to disabled prisoners, non-observance of sanitary and hygienic standards in the context of the current COVID—19 pandemic and ban on visits to prisoners. She has also made public information about cases of suicide of individuals in custody. She is a respected human rights activist who enjoys the trust of prisoners, colleagues and international experts alike.

 “Uzbekistan has committed itself to establishing national preventative mechanisms, enshrined in the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT). If implemented swiftly and effectively, these will radically improve the system for prevention of torture. But the role of civil oversight in such procedures is key to its success and the work of Tatyana serves exactly this important purpose. We deplore that she is being prosecuted for fulfilling this crucial role.”, said Brigitte Dufour, Director of the International Partnership for Human Rights.

 

Kyrgyzstan: No forced return to Uzbekistan

On 9 August, Uzbekistani journalist Bobomurod Abdullayev was arrested in Bishkek by officials of the State Committee for State Security (SKNB) of Kyrgyzstan. Amnesty International, Association for Human Rights in Central Asia (AHRCA), Civil Rights Defenders, International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR), Freedom House, Freedom Now and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC) urge the Kyrgyzstani authorities to protect him from forced return to Uzbekistan where he would be at real risk of torture and other ill-treatment. In Uzbekistan, the journalist is wanted on what appear to be trumped-up anti-government charges O carrying a punishment of up to 20 years’ imprisonment, the groups said.

Bobomurod Abdullayev

In an official statement made on 9 August, the Kyrgyzstani security services stated that Abdullayev had been arrested under the 1993 Minsk Convention for Legal Assistance and Legal Relations on Civil, Family and Criminal Matters pursuant to an extradition request from Uzbekistan. He is currently being held in a security service temporary-detention centre in Bishkek.

“We remind Kyrgyzstan of its non-derogable international obligation under Article 3 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment which forbids any state from returning, extraditing or refouling any person to a state where there are substantial grounds for believing that he would be in danger of being subjected to torture – Abdullayev must not be sent back to Uzbekistan”, said Brigitte Dufour, Director of IPHR.

In early 2020 Abdullayev became worried about his security after the Canada-based Uzbek journalist Ismat Khushevim named him as the possible author of several articles criticizing the authorities on an anonymous website.

In February 2020 Abdullayev travelled to Bishkek from Germany on an official invitation to follow a four-month course as part of a programme for independent journalists and former political prisoners at the American University of Central Asia which ended on 1 July. When his stay at the university ended, he was unable to leave Kyrgyzstan as the borders were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On 13 July, the American University of Central Asia informed him that officials from the Kyrgyzstani security services were trying to locate him. Earlier in July 2020 Abdullayev told AHRCA  that he was concerned about his security as he feared the Uzbekistani security services wanted to question him or abduct him after several anonymous persons had posted online accusing him of being the author of the above mentioned critical anonymous publications.

“When Bobomurod Abdullayev was last in the hands of the Uzbekistani security services, they tortured him for days on end – and there is a significant risk that he would be tortured yet again if sent back”, said Nadejda Atayeva, President of the Association for Human Rights in Central Asia.

Abdullayev is wanted for prosecution in relation to charges including attempting to overthrow the President (Article 158 of the Criminal Code) and the Constitutional regime (Article 159), punishable by up to 20 years’ imprisonment. The charges are believed to be linked to a series of publications critical of President Mirziyoyev and his family posted on Facebook under the pseudonym Qora Mergan and on an anonymous site registered in Canada under a different pseudonym. Abdullayev has categorically denied being the author of these publications and the Uzbekistani authorities have reportedly produced no credible evidence to seriously implicate him.

On 10 August, Pervomaisky District Court in Bishkek held a remand hearing and ruled to detain him until 8 September 2020. The Kyrgyzstani court confirmed that he is wanted in Uzbekistan on the above-mentioned charges. On 10 August, Abdullayev applied for refugee status.

“Bobomurod Abdullayev is being targeted as an independent journalist.  Kyrgyzstan must live up to its international human rights obligations and release him so that he can seek asylum,” said Marie Struthers, Director, Amnesty International Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.“

Background:

Abdullayev was arrested on 27 September 2017 in Tashkent by officers of the State Security Service on anti-constitutional charges which were widely believed to have been politically motivated. He was held for several months in detention during which time he reports being tortured in order to force him to testify against himself and several other people including political opposition leaders, critics, civil society activists, and former diplomats. At a court hearing in 2018, Abdullayev admitted writing a series of articles under the pseudonym “Usman Khakhnazarov” which were critical of former President Karimov. Abdullayev was released from 7 May 2018 and vowed that he would not write anonymous articles again.

Since his release from detention, Abdullayev has been regularly subjected to surveillance and harassment by Uzbekistani security services.

Uzbekistan: Yelena Tsarevskaya, a resident of Tashkent, made a video message to the President with an appeal: "Help your people!"

 

Yelena Tsarevskaya access the video address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVs6f0GVPog&feature=youtu.be

#СOVID19 

Good afternoon. It has been a long time since I recorded a video. Please do not mind me, as they say, the more time I spend at home, the less homely I look.

 

Today I would like to address our esteemed President, Shavkat Miromonovich.

Dear Mr. President,

I have watched so many video messages addressed to you, but I do not have any anger, I do not have angry addresses, or wishes and so on for you. The only thing I want to ask you is that either you take a fresh look at your entire, so called, inner circle and remove all corrupt officials from it, or in the near future, Uzbekistan simply will not have any future left, because you should pay attention at what is happening in our Republic now.

No more people are dying of Covid or pneumonia than of hunger. I hope you appreciate that at the moment people have no money to just sit at home without work, and employers have no money to just pay.

It has to be said that you have allocated a certain amount of money, however, you have not announced when it will be paid, in September, October, November, this year, at all or not?

Therefore, now people are simply storming the mahalla committees asking for help.

What are they being told by the mahalla? – There is no money, no money. Well, where is it? Where did the money go? Were the funds plundered before they reached the mahalla? At the Khokimiyat? Or even higher up? Please, explain it to us.

The people are simply terrified right now. I am failing to find the words to describe it. I do not know what to do. People try to reach out to the mahalla asking for help, and the mahalla replies: “but you have a refrigerator, you have a TV, sell them and live on the proceeds”. The thing is that no one is willing to buy a refrigerator or a TV, no one needs it. People need food or money. Where do I store the food if I sell my refrigerator? And how can I distract the children in quarantine if I do not have TV? What to do? This is some kind of vicious circle. Do you understand?

Why don't you appoint certain people who would check the mahalla committees? Even when there was help of 1197, the mahalla brazenly stole food: chickens, milk, eggs. In other words, some people simply received torn packages or boxes from which certain products were missing. They were told lies to their faces: "it was missing, that is the end of it."

You have huge embezzlement, misappropriation of state funds going on. So many of your officials have stolen money, but you are not doing anything about it. Khokims only know how to apologise. I do not know what to make of it, is this some kind of new trend in Uzbekistan? Have you stolen? Apologise! Have you made people kneel in the water, locked them in the bus in the heat? Apologise. Well, what do we get out of your khokims’ apologies? Nothing.

You understand that now the people will just get up and go. People will die of hunger. Looting will start over a can of tinned meat. Because there is nothing to feed the children.

Currently, you are locking down people at their homes for two days. With all due respect, they are free to go anywhere for five days a week, and who can guarantee that they will not get infected during those five days? And the fact that they are under a lockdown at home for two days and the bazaars are closed does not mean anything. Absolutely. I do not understand what this is. Who invented this? What kind of moronism is this?

People walk on foot. Public transport is not available. Cars are not allowed at certain times. And what if a family, a person has only one car? And if he leaves early in the morning and returns late in the evening. When are they supposed to go to the bazaars? Where are they supposed to shop? I can say from my own experience that I walk three kilometres to get to the bazaar, to buy cheaper greens, dairy products. I am ashamed to admit, but I bargain for a hundred soums, because money is short. And I am not alone, there are many people like me in Tashkent, in Uzbekistan - in Nukus, in Khorezm, anywhere. There are many people like me. I hope you appreciate the situation. What are you doing about it?

People have been writing a petition seeking the resignation of the Minister of Health, because he failed. There are no ambulances. Ambulances arrive only after three and a half hours, because they have to go through block-posts, bypass concrete fences that have been placed on the roads. Can you please explain to us what these are for? The ambulance either does not show up, or arrives in three and a half hours, by which time it is too late for person seeking the help. The ambulances are not taking patients to hospitals, because they say that hospitals are closed - there are no beds. But if you have "tanish-bilish" (if you know the right people in the right places - Editor's note), you can get a hospital bed. How come?

And you say that you are fighting corruption? No. It is the people who are fighting it. They are somehow trying to upload videos and everything else. Please help us. Please explain to us. How we, the people, should live?

Now, let's say, someone gets paid benefits, a certain amount for each family. If there are two people in the family, they will get somewhere in the region of five hundred thousand soums. But, excuse me, out of these five hundred thousand they must also pay for the "communal services". You could at least provide for easing of some of the payment requirements so that utilities would not be charged. For electricity, for gas, for the Internet. Well, the Internet, it seems to me, is no longer as interesting as simply hot water, heating, electricity, gas. You are not even providing for the easing of the payments for the people. And how should the people live? What on? Should they go beg? If so, almost half of the population of Uzbekistan will be on the streets doing just that. Please explain to us, what should we do. How should we live on?

Now we need to get the children to school - there is no money. Will online teaching be provided? We are going to have a generation of uneducated children. I am telling you, we will have an uneducated generation. Because online teaching is utter rubbish. And some may wave their hands and says: “Oh, this is so great” - yes, maybe it is great that the child is at home, but you know that he is at home, but you also know that he is not learning. He needs control, he needs to be explained thirty-three times. What will happen next? Now majority of Universities will teach online. What kind of education will the Universities be providing? What should be done? Please explain this to the people.

Make some sort of normal decision. Take matters into your own hands. Make sure no one steals. Help people. You did not declare this an emergency. Because even people already know that if you declare it an emergency, you must pay a certain amount of money. But there is no money. But you are borrowing funds. And who will pay them back? People again? And this money has already been plundered along the way. The funds have been siphoned off even before they were received.

Shavkat Miromonovich, please help your people. The people are indeed requesting it. They are requesting, asking. What will happen next? Please help us.

I know that many people wrote to you - both by posting video messages and angry posts.

I have no negative attitude towards you. I have a negative attitude, probably, towards our Khokims, ministers. Sometimes what they voice and say on the air, as they say, it is all taken out of context. It feels like they all went to the same school and graduated from the same institute. Because, I do not know how much brains power one should have to say such nonsense, to make it up.

So what are we going to do? What should the people do? Please help, because as soon as the first flights open, it seems to me that several million people will be missing. Maybe even half of the population of Uzbekistan, because many will leave, they do not see a future here - neither for themselves, nor for their children.

No future. You promise us a peaceful sky overhead. Well, yes - blue sky. And then what?

People have nothing to eat. Look what is happening in the regions. People have no money, and you impose fines. No mask? Fined. Did you go by car? Fined. A bike? Fined. Where should people get their money from?

You want to lock us down at home. This is awful. We cannot do it, nor can our children stay at home for a long time. Especially those with small children. They need walks. Parks are closed, they can only walk near their homes, where patrolling cars drive around.

So what should the people do? Shavkat Miromonovich, please help us. Because, I cannot be sure, but this is probably the last straw for the people. Our patience is running out. Please take some drastic action. Please help us.

I would like to thank you for the fact that, probably, someone will bring this to your attention, and you will see it and draw a conclusion for yourself.

Thank you all and goodbye.  

 

Mutabar Turgunova, wife of Uzbek human rights activist Agzam Turgunov, passed away

Mutabar Turgunova

The Association for Human Rights in Central Asia (AHRCA) expresses condolences to human rights activist Agzam Turgunov in connection with the passing of his wife Mutabar Turgunova. We all knew her as a loyal and courageous person who unflinchingly shared all the ordeals that befell her husband and her family.

Mutabar Turgunova died this morning in the hospital in Tashkent.  She was taken to hospital in a critical condition.

Throughout her husband's decades-long struggle for human rights in the region, Mutabar identified his plight and his beliefs as her own. Alone, during her husband’s long prison sentence, she took over the responsibility for raising their children. This gave strength to Agzam, who was imprisoned for many years. Anyone who knew Mutabar-opa personally will remember her as a warm, caring and loving person.

May her heart and soul find peace and comfort.

The staff of the AHRCA

Death of human rights defender Azimjan Askarov - political assassination

Azimjan Askarov (photo from archives DW.COM)

Azimjan Askarov died in prison because of years of ill-treatment and limited access to adequate medical care.

The Association of Human Rights in Central Asia believes that Askarov was the victim of a premeditated murder - the authorities were aware of the threat to his health, but ignored requests for medical assistance, which led to his death.

Numerous facts indicate that criminal offences have been committed against human rights defender Askarov under the following articles of the Kyrgyz Criminal Code:

— 150 "Leaving in danger":

"... knowingly leaving a person who is in a life-threatening or health-threatening condition without the help and this person is deprived of the opportunity to take measures for self-preservation due to the <…> illness or helplessness, in cases when the perpetrator himself put him in a life-threatening condition, while having the obligation to provide necessary care <…>";

— 151 "Failure to provide help":

"... failure to assist a person who is in a life-threatening or health-threatening condition and is unable to take measures for self-preservation because of <…> an illness <…>".

Taking into consideration the fact that the Kyrgyz Republic has for a decade ignored all the appeals and recommendations of international human rights bodies, including the UN Human Rights Committee, which recognized Askarov as a victim of human rights violations, we call for Azimjan Askarov to be declared the victim of the political reprisal that led to his death.

The Association of Human Rights in Central Asia believes that the President of Kyrgyzstan, Sooronbai Jeenbekov, being the guarantor of the rights and freedoms enshrined in the Constitution, in the current situation has shown lack of principles, becoming an accomplice to a political murder.

We call on the countries of the democratic community to put Sooronbai Jeenbekov, as well as all officials involved in the torture and political murder of human rights defender Azimjan Askarov, on the "banned persons list" of human rights violators.

We express our condolences to all the relatives and colleagues of human rights defender Azimjan Askarov.

HE WILL BE REMEMBERED AND MISSED.

Team of the Association for Human Rights in Central Asia