New information
UZB 001 / 0505 / OBS 036.2
Arbitrary arrests and detentions / Releases / Ill-treatment / Harassment /
Violations of the right to freedom of movement and of assembly
Uzbekistan

July 1st, 2005

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), received new information about the situation in Uzbekistan.

New information:

The Observatory has been informed by the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan (HRSU), Ezgulik and the Human Rights Centre of Azerbaijan that nine human rights defenders of those who have been arrested since May 21, 2005 remain detained. These are Messrs. Saidjahon Zaynabitdinov, Dilmurad Muhitdinov, Muhammadkodir Otahonov, Mussajon Bobojanov, Nurmuhammad Azizov, Norboy Kholjigitov, Abdusattor Irzaev, Khabibulla Okpulatov and Rakhmatulla Alibaev. Moreover, the Observatory has been informed of new acts of harassment against human rights defenders since the Andijan " tragedy " that took place on May 13, 2005.

According to the information received, Mr. Saidjahon Zaynabitdinov, member of the Human Rights Group in Andijan, arrested on May 21, 2005, and held incommunicado for some time (see background information), is allegedly detained in the basement of the Andijan's police station. He is able to meet his lawyer, Mr. Matliub Akhmedov but he cannot receive any food from his family.

Moreover, Mr. Dilmurad Muhitdinov, president of the Markhamat regional section of Ezgulik, Mr. Muhammadkodir Otahonov, president of the local section of Andijan of the International Society of Human Rights and Mr. Mussajon Bobojanov, a member of Ezgulik and chief of the local organisation of the political party " Birlik ", who had been arrested on May 28, 2005 in Markhamat, region of Andijan (see background information) are allegedly charged with "infringement of the constitutional order," "forming, participating to an extremist religious organisation, fundamentalist or other forbidden organisation" and "preparation and distribution of materials containing threats to public order and security." They remain in custody as of June 30, 2005 and are being questioned without the presence of a lawyer.

Mr. Nurmuhammad Azizov, chairman of the section of Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan (HRSU) in Andijan is still detained in the prison of Andijan as of June 30, 2005. He had been arrested on June 2, 2005 (see background information) together with Mr. Akbarali Oripov, chairman of Birlik for Andijan region, who is also still detained, and Mr. Muzaffarmirzi Iskhakov, chairman of Ezgulik for Andijan region, who was released on bail on June 6, 2005 (however, police retained his passport among other belongings and ordered him not to leave the city). All three are charged with "infringement of the constitutional order", "forming, participating to an extremist religious organisation, fondamentalist or other forbidden organisation" and "preparation and distribution of materials containing threats to public order and security." Mr. Azizov is also accused of "slur on the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan".

Moreover, on June 4, 2005, in the city of Mytan, security agents of Samarkand province arrested Mr. Abdusattor Irzaev and Mr. Khabibulla Okpulatov, members of HRSU at Ishtikhanskii district and Mr. Norboy Kholjigitov, chairman of HRSU Ishtikhanskii district branch (region of Samarkand) and member of the party Ozod dekhkolar ("free farmers"). Mr. Kholijigitov, accused of extortion, is currently detained in the basement of the security services in Samarkand. Mr. Abdusattor and Mr. Okpulatov were allegedly submitted to torture and also remain detained as of June 30, 2005.

On June 6, 2005, Mr. Sobitkhon Ustabaev of the Namangan Group for Protection of Human Rights was released after 15 days of detention for taking part in protests (see background information).

The Observatory has also been informed of further acts of reprisals (arbitrary arrests, ill-treatment, threats, smear campaigns, obstacles to freedom of movement) against human rights defenders since the Andijan " tragedy ".

In particular, it has been reported that on May 22, 2005, a group of 70 persons gathered on order of Mr. Ubdidulla Yamankulov, chief of the Administration of the Djizak region, forcibly entered the home of Mr. Bakhtior Kamroev, chairman of the Djizak branch of HRSU, beat him and insulted the members of his family. He received death threatening letters at home against him and his family.

Moreover, on May 30, 2005 at 5.30 a.m., Mr. Sotivoldi Abdullaev, a member of HRSU, was beaten in front of his house in Tashkent by police. He was hospitalised during 15 days.

On May 30, 2005, starting at 5 a.m., Tashkent police prevented several human rights defenders from leaving their homes and other defenders were temporarily detained: Pr. Iskandar Khudaiberganov, chairman of the " Center of democratic initiatives ", Mr. Bashorat Eshova, member of HRSU, Mr. Azam Turgunov, chairman of the human rights organisation " Mazlum ". They were released after a short period of detention.

On June 4, 2005, police forces in Karshi, in the south of the country (Ishtikhanskii district), arrested Mr. Tulkin Karaev, a member of HRSU and an independent journalist working for the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), and sentenced him to 10 days of administrative detention for " hooliganism ". Mr. Karaev is one of the few independent Uzbek journalists who had covered the events in Andijan, on May 13, 2005. Allegedly, as he was in jail, police tried to inject heroin in his arm in order to make Mr. Karaev become drug-addict. On June 14, Mr. Karaev was released. However, on June 16, while he was going to Tashkent for medical reason with Mr. Akmal Akhmedov, a journalist and member of the Initiative Group for Independent Defenders of Uzbekistan, they were arrested and interrogated during five hours by officers of Ministry of Internal Affairs, who refused to tell them the reasons for their arrests. The police told Mr. Karaev that he should stop his human rights and journalistic activities, if he did not want to have any problems. The police released them but kept their passports to prevent them from leaving the city. Local television programmes called M. Karaev a " traitor " and asked for his expulsion from the country.

On June 13, 2005, Mr. Khabibulla Okpulatov's son (see above), Mr. Youldash Okpulatov, was intimidated and threatened. Mr. Aslitdin Suvankulov, Mr. Kholijigitov's lawyer, was beaten after he stated that he also intended to defend Mr. Okpulatov. It is also worth noting that human rights defenders' activities have been discredited by the Samarkand local television channel.

On June 15, 2005, four members of a delegation from the International Helsinki Federation, Mr. Tolib Yakubov, Mrs. Eliza Musaeva, Mr. Eldar Zeynalov, Mr. Dmitri Markushevski and Mr. Abdurzai Dezhuraev, as well as their driver, were forced to leave the Andijan province. The police stopped their car to determine whether the driver had been involved in a supposed car accident, arrested the group and brought them to the local police station. On June 16, 2005, at 2 a.m. the delegation had no other choice than to return to Tashkent.

On June 21, 2005, a demonstration in memory of the victims of the " Andijan tragedy " took place in Tashkent. Some security forces tried to confiscate placards from participants. They also prevented Mr. Sotivoldi Abdullaev and Mr. Abdudjalin Vaimatov, members of HRSU, from leaving their apartments and from going to the demonstration. Moreover, about 20 persons were arrested and detained at the police station without any reasons from the morning until 6 PM. Among them were Mr. Anatolyi Volkov, an independent human rights defender, Mrs. Bashorat Iesheva, a member of HRSU, and Mr. Surat Ikramov, chairman of the Initiative Group for Independent Defenders of Uzbekistan.

On June 27, 2005, in Tashkent, from 5 a.m. security forces in plain clothes prevented around 40 opposition parties' members and human rights defenders from participating in a demonstration planned in sign of protest against smear campaigns in the state media, portraying human rights defenders as " traitors to the Nation " and " enemies " and against disinformation in media about events that took place on May 13, 2005 in Andijan. Some of them were arrested for 4 to 5 hours in the regional centre of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or placed under house arrest. Such was the case of Mr. Surat Ikramov for example. Consequently, the demonstration had to be cancelled. At 7 a.m., three members of the security forces went to the home of Mrs. Elena Urlaeva, chairperson of the Organisation for the Defence of Rights and Freedoms of Citizens of Uzbekistan, where she was with Mr. Rakhmatulla Alibaev, a member of the Initiative Group for Independent Defenders of Uzbekistan. Security forces beat him and took him away. Mr. Alibaev is detained at an unknown place. On June 28, Mrs. Urlaeva demonstrated in front of the Ministry of Internals Affairs headquarters to demand the release of Mr. Alibaev and to stop the harassment against human rights defenders, journalists and opponents. Three men took her away from the Ministry's building. In the car, they seriously beat her and threatened her and her family. At 9.00 p.m., she was sentenced to a fine, without any lawyer and any Uzbek-Russian translator.

The Observatory has also been informed that in February 2005 the newspaper " Shatransh " published an article entitled " opposition in Uzbekistan " denigrating four human rights defenders, including Mr. Tolib Yakubov. He instituted proceedings against the newspaper but without result so far.

Background information:

The Observatory had denounced the arbitrary arrests, detentions and physical attack of human rights defenders who have been denouncing and investigating into the disproportionate use of force against civilians, on May 13, 2005, during peaceful demonstrations in Andijan, resulting in the killing of hundreds of them, including women and children.

Following these events, two members of the human rights organisation Ezgulik, Messrs. Ulugbek Bakirov and Fazleddin Gafurov, were beaten up and harassed by law enforcement agents in Andijan as they were going to interview witnesses of the May 13 events. On May 21, 2005, Mr. Saidjahon Zaynabitdinov, member of the Human Rights Group in Andijan was arrested and charged with libel (article 139 of the Criminal Code) for his denunciation and declarations to the international media concerning the Andijan events. On May 22, 2005, Mr. Sobitkhon Ustabaev of the Namangan Group for Protection of Human Rights was arrested and sentenced to 15 days in detention on the basis of the administrative code of Uzbekistan after taking part in a peaceful protest against the above-mentioned events in Andijan.

Moreover, on May 28, 2005 in Markhamat (region of Andijan), Mr. Dilmurad Muhitdinov, President of the Markhamat section of Ezgulik, Mr. Muhammadkodir Otahonov, President of the local section of Andijan of the International Society of Human Rights and Mr. Mussajon Bobojanov, a member of Ezgulik and chief of the local organisation of the political party "Birlik", were arrested. The Markhamat chief of Administration promised to release them on May 30, 2005 in the evening, but they still remain detained as of June 3, 2005. In addition, their computers, CDs and other documents were confiscated.

During the night of May 29-30, 2005, the police arrested 12 members of Ezgulik at the house of Mr. Hussan Yussupov, also a member of the Ezgulik party. Some of them were beaten and they were forcibly sent back to their residence places. Following these events, Mrs. Vassila Inoiatova, President of Ezgulik, her husband and Mr. Hussan Yussupov were arrested and detained in Sobir-Rakhimovskii regional centre of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. They were released on May 30, 2005 at mid-day. As Mrs. Inoiatova went later to Mr. Yussupov's house, she saw members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs forcing his neighbours to sign false testimonies, in order to prove that "suspect" people meet regularly at his house and that on the eve of the arrest of the 12 Ezgulik members there was a meeting of "terrorists-wahhabits" from Andijan.

On May 30, 2005, Messrs. Vakhid Karimov and Ilkhom Ashurov, members of the " Centre of Humanitarian Law " were detained during three hours in Bukhar. Their papers were confiscated and they had to sign a document indicating that they would not leave the city. Moreover, human rights defenders working in the Valley of Ferghana report to be regularly spied, called for " a conversation " with the police and warned not to participate in demonstrations.

On June 2, 2005, in the evening, Mr. Muzaffarmirzi Iskhakov, Chairman of Ezgulik for Andijan region, Mr. Azizov Nurmuhammad, Chairman of the section of the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan (HRSU), were arrested in Andijan along with Mr. Akbarali Oripov, Chairman of Birlik for Andijan region. Their arrests took place during searches at their houses conducted by some of officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Markhamat. Some documents about human rights defenders, the programme and charter of the political party "Birlik" and computers of the section of Ezgulik of Andijan were confiscated at Mr. Iskhakov's house.

Action requested:

Please write to the Uzbek authorities, urging them to:

1. guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Uzbek human rights defenders in all circumstances;
2. release immediately and unconditionally the human rights defenders currently detained;
3. put an end to all acts of harassment against human rights defenders in the country in conformity with the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the United Nations' General Assembly on December 9, 1998, in particular its article 5 (a) which states that "For the purpose of promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, at the national and international levels: (a) To meet or assemble peacefully"; its article 6 which guarantees the rights: "(a) To know, seek, obtain, receive and hold information about all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including having access to information as to how those rights and freedoms are given effect in domestic legislative, judicial or administrative systems; (b) (...) freely to publish, impart or disseminate to others views, information and knowledge on all human rights and fundamental freedoms; [and] (c) To study, discuss, form and hold opinions on the observance, both in law and practice, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and, through these and other appropriate means, to draw public attention to these matters";
4. more generally, conform with the provisions of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, and with all other international human rights instruments binding Uzbekistan.
   
   

Addresses:

• President of Uzbekistan, Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov, ul. Uzbekistanskaya 43, Rezidentsia prezidenta, 700163 Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan, Fax: +998 71 133 7258, E-mail: presidents_office@press-service.uz
• Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sodiq Solihovich Safoyev, Respublika Uzbekistan; 700029 g. Tashkent; pl. Mustakillik, 5; Ministerstvo inostrannykh del RU, S.S., Uzbekistan, Fax: + 998 71 139 15 17
• Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, Sayora Rashidova, ul. Xalqlar Dostligi 1, 700035 Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan, Fax: +998 71 139 85 55, E-mail: office@ombudsman.gov.uz
• Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Ubaydulla Mingbaev, Respublika Uzbekistan; 700183 g. Tashkent; ul. Abdulla Kodiri, 1; Verkhovny Sud Respubliki Uzbekistan
• General Procurator of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Rashidjon Hamidovich Kodirov, ul. Gulyamova 66, 700047 Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan, Fax: +998 71 133 39 17, E-mail: prokuratura@lawyer.com
• National Centre for Human Rights, Senator Akmal Saidov Natsionalny tsentr po pravam cheloveka, 5/3, Mustakillik Maidoni, g. Tashkent, Respublika Uzbekistan. 700029, Fax: + 998 71 139 13 56 / 45 16, E-mail: office@nchr.uz
• Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the United Nations in Geneva, PO Box 1853, 1215 Geneva 15, Switzerland, Fax: +4122 799 43 02, E-mail: uzbekistan@bluewin.ch
  

Please also write to the embassies of Uzbekistan in your respective country.

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Geneva-Paris, July 1st, 2005