The International Forum entitled Telecommunications Industry Dialogue on Freedom of Expression and Privacy was jointly organized by the Global Network Initiative and Telecommunications Industry Dialogue on 13 November 2013 in Brussels.

The Forum was attended by representatives of several reputable companies and international human rights organizations that tried to find answers to topical questions related to freedom of speech and the right to privacy.

Mutabar Tadjibayeva, the head of International Human Rights Organization “Fiery Hearts Club”, participated at the given forum following the official invitation of the Global Network Initiative and Telecommunication Dialogue.

In her interview to “Jarayon”, the prominent Uzbek human rights activist says that she told participants of the event that it is common knowledge that certain foreign companies operating in Uzbekistan participate in political games of the Uzbek government.

Jarayon: Mrs.Tadjibayeva, prior to your departure for Brussels, you mentioned that at the forum you were going to raise topical issues that companies providing ICT services in Uzbekistan face. Have you achieved your goal?

Mutabar Tadjibayeva: At the Forum, I personally handed each participant of the event the statements of our organization about issues related to freedom of expression and privacy in Uzbekistan, where dictatorship has been reigning for 24 years. I also provided them with documents and information as evidences of how this regime violates its citizens’ rights to freedom of expression and privacy, commit crimes against its nation. I did that so that the participants of the Forum could personally familiarize with them and make appropriate conclusions because international institutions and companies operating in Uzbekistan or planning to work in that country have to be serious about the issue of human rights in this country. In future negotiations, they have to raise the issue of observance of human rights in the first place.

Jarayon: Representatives of TeliaSonera, a big Swedish telecommunications company, were supposed to participate at the Forum in Brussels. Did representatives of the given company attend the event? What was their reaction when you spoke about the problems related to human rights in Uzbekistan and challenges foreign companies face in that country?

Mutabar Tadjibayeva: Yes, representatives of the company participated at the event. In the second half of the Forum, a TeliaSonera representative, like other speakers, told the other participants about the company ongoing work on freedom of speech and privacy.

After speeches of the Forum participants, I approached TeliaSonera representative Patrick Hieselius.

I told him that I recently read news that TeliaSonera Company suspended funding the structures owned by Gulnara Karimova, the eldest daughter of the Uzbek dictator. I also told the TeliaSonera representative that I support the given decision as a former political prisoner on behalf of representatives of the civil society and all political prisoners kept in Uzbek prisons for many years for their struggle for democracy.

In addition, I asked Patrick Hieseliusto answer my two questions. First, I told him that if the company has stopped financing Gulnara Karimova, then certainly Karimov and the administrative authorities will increase pressure on the company, and asked the TeliaSonera representative what in this case the company’s leadership intends to do in order to stay in Uzbekistan. I also told the TeliaSonera representative that the rights to freedom of expression and privacy are not respected in Uzbekistan, therefore companies that provide information and communication services serve the current regime. I said that thousands of people in Uzbek prisons are kept there for years precisely because their mobile phones were tapped, and they are subjected to severe tortures and even die following tortures. Then I asked him my second question – what measures is the company planning to take against such illegal actions of the Uzbek government to tap mobile phones.

TeliaSonera representative Patrick Hieselius avoided direct answers to my questions and said that despite the fact that the event is not related to corruption issues, he would answer my questions. But he confined himself to mentioning that they have information that the problems in Uzbekistan which I mentioned have deep roots and the company continues to work to resolve them. In fact, the problems which I told him were associated with freedom of speech and privacy.

Then, the situation in Uzbekistan was mentioned during the debates several times. In particular, a representative from Amnesty International criticized activities of such companies as TeliaSonera, saying that though they claim that they are not involved in politics, it is common knowledge that in fact these companies are involved in political games of governments.

Patrick Hieselius, who did not want to publicly respond to my questions, came up to me after the event and said that he was glad that I participated at the Forum and added that they are willing to cooperate with “Fiery Hearts Club” shoulder to shoulder to solve the problems existing in Uzbekistan, which I touched upon.

I reminded him of the proposal that we made to TeliaSonera leadership in July 2013.

I told him that I appealed to TeliaSonera leadership and informed them that administrative authorities and security forces of authoritarian countries can get information about personal life of people they are interested in from mobile operators without initiating official criminal proceedings against such people. I said that such people can be imprisoned for many years. I added that such things happen because mobile communication companies provide information about their customers and listen to their phone calls. Therefore, I offered the company’s management to put an end to such violations and to financially support the civil society and human rights organizations of Azerbaijan, Belarus, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, where the brand of TeliaSonera is present.

I received an answer to my written request on 4 September 2013 from Eija Pitkänen, the TeliaSonera Vice President and the Sustainable Development Department Head. Her response says that TeliaSonera tends to take a clear stand against corruption, and that since the beginning of 2013 the company has taken additional practical measures; in particular, it adopted anti-corruption policy. Mrs. Pitkänen stressed that human rights issues and anti-corruption work are priorities of TeliaSonera, and that the work in this direction will be continued. However, in her view, our proposal about financial support of the civil society and human rights organizations of the countries where the company’s brand is present has to be addressed to Ucell Company, the representative of TeliaSonera in Uzbekistan as our proposal does not directly relate to the Swedish company.

In addition, Mrs. Eija Pitkänen wrote “Fiery Hearts Club”can participate at the Global Network Initiative Forum to solve existing problems.

I handed Patrick Hieselius a file with sufficient information about Uzbekistan and said that the company’s reference to Ucell is not logical because organizations fighting against injustice regimes are based abroad. Also, I told the TeliaSonera representative that during Art Week conducted in Tashkent on 22-29 October 2013, Ucell Company asserted that it was proud that it was one of the sponsors of the event organized by “Forum Fund” headed by Gulnara Karimova. Also, Ucell Company stated that in such circumstances the company will never support organizations acting against crimes of the Uzbekistan Government. Then the TeliaSonera representative promised me again to discuss this issue with the TeliaSonera management.

However, recently he sent me an email in which he mentioned the management’s answer, which says that “if representatives of the civil society want TeliaSonera to support them financially, they should refer to Ucell Company, the brand of TeliaSonera in Uzbekistan”. All this once again proves that the words of the TeliaSonera Company management about human rights do not coincide with their actions.

Jarayon: Recently, unexpected changes were observed in political life of Uzbekistan. Here I mean the recent scandal with Gulnara Karimova. What is Europeans reaction today in regard to the events associated with Islam Karimov’s eldest daughter, who caught the eye of the Western public due to her connections with TeliaSonera Company? Has the interest in this person decreased or increased?

Mutabar Tadjibayeva: During a break, I was approached by Yves Nissim, one of the leaders of Orange, a French telecommunications company, a part of France Télécom, and John Kampfner, the information and communication technologies adviser to the Global Network Initiative on protection and promotion of freedom of expression and privacy for Europe. They expressed their satisfaction that they were joined by one of Uzbek activists, and added that we can cooperate in the future.

Sarah Nordbrand from the Church of Sweden, the executive manager of the Corporate Interaction Investment of the Finance Department, and Daniel Kristiansso, the representative of the Ministry of Finance of Sweden, had a long conversation with me and asked me to tell them about TeliaSonera activities as well as of other companies in Uzbekistan and about main factors, which lead to human rights violations in that country.

In addition, they said that Gulnara Karimova, who is discussed by the whole world, and events related to her are very much interesting for the Swedish public. They said that taxpayers of the country should be aware of developments related to TeliaSonera and Gulnara Karimova. They offered me further cooperation. I believe it is necessary to inform the public of Sweden about the situation in Uzbekistan through these people and to make sure that TeliaSonera stops providing assistance to the Uzbek government to execute its crimes.

Jarayon: Mrs.Tadjibayeva, at the end of the Forum in Brussels, could the participants, in particular, representatives of the companies that provide information and communication services in Uzbekistan, reach a consensus in regard of necessity to observe fundamental human rights on the basis of the topics discussed?

Mutabar Tadjibayeva: The third part of the Forum was attended only by investors and civil society activists, members of the Global Network Initiative. Unfortunately, we were unable to get information about the last event from the Global Network Initiative website.

However, I hope that soon International Human Rights Organization “Fiery Hearts Club” will submit an application in the prescribed manner for membership in the Global Network Initiative and will not be limited only to listening to reports of investors and civil society representatives, which have already become members of the organization, but also will be actively involved in major decision making. I consider it is very important to frequently participate at such events in order to provide its members with significant information and to solve current topical human rights problems.

Jarayon: Mrs.Tadjibayeva, thank you for the interview.

The interview is prepared by Mubina SAFAROVA