To French Ambassador-at-Large for Human Rights Ms. Patrizianna Sparacino-Thiellay.

Your Excellency Madame Sparacino-Thiellay!

Expressing my deep respect and reverence to you, I would like to discuss with you some issues related to your visit to Uzbekistan on 23-25 ​​October 2013.

I very much hope for reciprocity and I expect to receive answers to my questions.

At the beginning of my conversion, I would like to say that I have read your interview with great interest, which was taken from you by a BBC, Uzbek service correspondent. According to the publication, four questions were asked. I have an impression that none of your answers were to the point. Uzbekistan is known as an authoritarian and repressive state intolerant to democratic freedoms in all spheres of the state administration.

The country is well-known this way as each year it is poorly rated by distinguished authoritative organizations, and its leader Islam Karimov is mentioned as one of well-known dictators in the world. It is worth mentioning that even the Paris Court delivered a judgment on 1 July, 2011 in favor of Rue 89, a French online newspaper, and its journalist Skalberta Augustin, who was sued by Lola Karimova-Tillaeva , a daughter of Islam Karimov after the journalist called her father a “dictator” in an article.

I assume that you may not be aware of these facts. But as the Ambassador for Human Rights of such a great country like France, it would have been good if you could have found some time to familiarize yourself with the report by former UN Special Rapporteur on torture Mr.Theo van Boven prior to your trip to Uzbekistan despite your extreme lack of time. Mr. Theo van Boven inspected prisons in Uzbekistan at the end of 2002, and in his report he concluded that in Uzbekistan torture is a widespread and systematic practice. Mr.Theo van Boven made 22 recommendations for the government of the country to follow. The vast majority of the main recommendations have not been followed yet.

In your interview, you stated that you met with representatives of the civil society. According to the pro-government website in Uzbekistan, you met with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, the National Centre for Human Rights of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Ombudsman, the Independent Institute to Monitor Formation of Civil Society, the National Association of NGOs of Uzbekistan. Mr. Didier Maus met with the rector of the Academy of the State Administration (ASP) under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Four of these six organizations are state institutions and have no relationship to the civil society. And if you consider the other two organizations to belong to the civil society, I can disappoint you – neither the Independent Institute to Monitor Formation of Civil Society nor the National Association of NGOs of Uzbekistan has ever been an independent civil society institution. Believe my word.

But, nevertheless, indeed the independent civil society existed in Uzbekistan, to some extent. International organizations such as Human Rights Watch, “Open Society-Uzbekistan” (Soros Foundation), UNHCR office in Tashkent, Internews, BBC Radio, “Liberty”, etc. operated in the country. After the brutal massacre of the peaceful demonstration by government troops in the city of Andizhan on 13 May 2005, Karimov ordered to expel all these organizations from the country. The order was executed fast. That happened in front of embassies of democratic countries, including the French Embassy. They can confirm my words.

In the post-Soviet area, Uzbekistan is the second country after Russia in terms of the number of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. But the territory of Russia is 38 times bigger than that of our country and its population is 5 times bigger than ours. Therefore, there is a reason to assume that based on these sad statistics, Uzbekistan is ahead of the former metropolitan country. It is impossible to list all prisoners of conscience, people who have been convicted for their religious beliefs – there are tens of thousands of such people. But I can give a partial list of political prisoners – members of opposition parties, human rights activists, journalists, independent entrepreneurs.

Here they are:

1) Murod Juraev, “Erk”party, in jail since 1994;

2) Samandar Kukonov, “Erk”party, businessman, in jail since 1993;

3) Yusubboi Ruzimurodov, “Erk” party, journalist, in jail since 1999;

4) Aazam Turgunov, “Erk”party, the head of Mazlum human rights organization, in jail since 2008;

5 ) Muhhammad Bekzhonov, “Erk” party, journalist, in jail since 1999;

6) Isroilzhon Kholdorov, “Erk” party, in jail since 2007;

7) Mamadali Koraboev, “Birlik”party, businessman, in jail since 2006;

8) Azam Farmonov, the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan, in jail since 2006;

9) Yuldosh Rasulev, the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan, in jail since 2007;

10) Zafar Rahhimov, the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan, in jail since 2007;

11) Mekhriniso Khamdamova, the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan, in jail since 2009;

12) Zulaikho Khamdamova , the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan, in jail since 2009;

13) Shakhlo Rakhmonova, the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan, in jail since 2009;

14) Gaybulla Zhalilov, the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan, in jail since 2009;

15) Chuyan Mamatkulov, the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan, military man, in jail since 2012;

16) Khabibulla Akpulatov, the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan, teacher, in jail since 2005;

17) Nasim Isokov, the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan, in jail since 2005;

18) Rustam Usmanov, businessman, scientist, in jail since 1995;

19) Isok Abdullayev, businessman, in jail since 2005;

20) Gairat Mekhliboev, journalist, in jail since 2006;

21) Solizhon Abdurahmonov, journalist, human rights activist, in jail since 2008;

22) Ganikhon Mamatkhonov, human rights activist, in jail since 2009;

23) Dilmurod Sayyid, human rights activist, journalist, in jail since 2009;

24) Abdurasul Abdunazarov, human rights activist, in jail since 2006;

25) Rukhitdin Fakhritdinov, religious scholar, in in jail since 2005;

26) Akrom Yuldashev, religious scholar, mathematics teacher, in jail since 1999;

27) Turaboi (Nabizhon) Djurabaev, Ozodlik Radio journalist (Radio Liberty), arrested on 31 May 2013 and sentenced to five years and 2 months of imprisonment;

28) Bobomurod Razzakov, the Head of Bukhara regional office of “Ezgulik” Human rights society, arrested on 10 July, 2013 and sentenced to four years of imprisonment.

Only Ozoda Yaqubova, the wife of political prisoner Azam Farmonov, dared to appeal to you with a letter after your trip to Uzbekistan with a number of questions. She is still expecting you to respond.

Mr.Akmal Saidov, the Director of the National Human Rights Centre of Uzbekistan, who presented the official report of the Government of Uzbekistan to the UN Committee against Torture ten days ago in Geneva, and Mr. Abdukarim Shodiev, the head of the Main Punishment Execution Directorate, the Deputy Interior Minister, shamelessly and cynically claimed that there are NO political prisoners in Uzbekistan.

Here is a small extract from Ozoda Yaqubova’s letter to you:

“I believe it is time for the international democratic community to understand that the policy of the Uzbek authority is feigned. It is time to stop flirting with it for the good of democracy, human rights and decent living of the people of Uzbekistan.” And I, too, share this point of view for the sake of democracy, human rights and decent living of the people of Uzbekistan.

So, here are my questions:

1. If you are to make another trip to Uzbekistan as the Ambassador for Human Rights of France, could you raise the issue of political prisoners in Uzbekistan to the Uzbekistan authorities despite the fact that Mr. Akmal Saidov, while presenting the official report of the Government of Uzbekistan on the state of human rights in the country, asserted that there are no political prisoners in Uzbekistan?

2. In your Radio BBC interview, you stated that you were not aware of the six-question letter from Ms. Ozoda Yagubova, the wife of human rights activist and political prisoner Azam Farmonov, therefore I attach the letter to our appeal. Can I expect you to answer the question of Mrs. O. Yakubova as well as my questions?

3. I have desire to meet with you. I can prove that your impressions about the state of human rights in Uzbekistan is erroneous.

Talib Yakubov,

Former president of Uzbekistan Human Rights Society

16, rue Marcel Pajotin, Angers, 49000, France

Tel.: 0241667961

E-mail: vbaelleon@gmail.com

From the Editor: On the day of publication of this statement, Mutabar Tadjibayeva, head of the international human rights organization “Fiery Hearts Club”, received an invitation from the office of the Ambassador for Human Rights at the Ministry ofForeign Affairs of France, Ms Patrizianna Sparacino-Thiellay, which states that the ambassador wants to meet Ms Tadjibayeva to talk about the general situation in Uzbekistan. The details of the upcoming meeting of the Ambassador for Human Rights of France and Uzbekhuman rights defender will be covered soon in our materials.