Family history of the candidate for nomination: her father Tadjibayev Ibrokhimjon was born in 1916 in the town of Margilan, in 1941 he participated in the Great Patriotic Wat. During the war he was wounded on the territory of Ukraine. Where he got married with Uljaeva Kandolatkhon, who was born in 1926, her parents were from Yangikurgon village, Buvaydinskiy district of Ferghana Region, they were deported from the country as “people’s enemies”. Their elder son, Ibrokhimov Sobirjon was born there in 1945. After the war was finished the newly married couple came back to Margilan. They had 10 children. The candidate for nomination is the 7^th child in the family. She is distinguished for her intolerance to injustice, and thirst for struggling for truth. She has a daughter (Pulatova Makhliyo Makhmudovna), who was born in 1984.

PART I – THE CANDIDATE

1. Tadjibayeva Mutabar Ibragimovna
2. Age – 42 years old
3. Place of birth – town of Margilan, Ferghana Region, Republic of Uzbekistan
4. Address – town of Margilan, 31/31 Zukhro Street
5. Country – Republic of Uzbekistan
6. Is she, or her work, part of an organization or network? – She established a non-governmental non-profit organization on human rights “Fiery Hearts Club”
7. Title/Position in organization – Head of the “Club of flaming hearts”, independent journalist, member of human rights organization International Society on Human Rights
8. Please state where she mainly works (international, national, specific geographic region, district, community, village etc.). Please explain briefly. – Acts on national territory. Although the organization that she established is regional (Ferghana region), her activities cover the whole Ferghana Valley, Tashkent city and Samarkand Region
9. Tel/Mobile phone number: (998732) 35-03-48; Tel: (99871) 121-74-47
10. Fax number: (998712) 24-82-47
11. E-mail: hrsu_tolib@rambler.ru
12. Website: No
13. Contact person: Pulatova Mukhliyo Makhmudovna (998732) 35-03-48

Talib Yakubov (998712) 24-82-47; (99871) 121-74-47

PART II – THE WORK

1. Please provide a short background (biography) of the candidate, including family history, education, and life circumstances.

This candidate for nomination was born on 25 August, 1962, nationality – Uzbek, education – specialized, in 1989 graduated from Margilan economical technical school. Also finished two-year course for journalists. Since 1983 till 1991 worked as an inspector in the Committee for people’s control in the Akhunbabaev district of Ferghana region, since 1991 till 1997 – worked as a head of human resources department, senior economist of the department for turnover of finances at the Margilan and Kirgulin Promstroybank, Central Bank and Kirgulin People’s Bank, since 1997 till 1998 – deputy chairman of Ferghana regional committee of international society of “Red Crescent”, since 1998 till 2000 – head of the department of agitation and propaganda at the Writers’ union of Uzbekistan / Ferghana Region, correspondent of the republican newspaper “Yozuvchi” at the Ferghana Valley, and also as an editor at the newspaper “Chekhra” of the Feghana Region. She also owned a business in an unusual for women sphere of business – fish-breeding, as she rented wastelands and established trade and industrial company “Khakikat”. Since 1987 till 2001 worked in co-operation with almost all republican mass media and TV. Dozens of her critical articles, poems, stories and detective-stories were published.

Family history of the candidate for nomination: her father Tadjibayev Ibrokhimjon was born in 1916 in the town of Margilan, in 1941 he participated in the Great Patriotic Wat. During the war he was wounded on the territory of Ukraine. Where he got married with Uljaeva Kandolatkhon, who was born in 1926, her parents were from Yangikurgon village, Buvaydinskiy district of Ferghana Region, they were deported from the country as “people’s enemies”. Their elder son, Ibrokhimov Sobirjon was born there in 1945. After the war was finished the newly married couple came back to Margilan. They had 10 children. The candidate for nomination is the 7^th child in the family. She is distinguished for her intolerance to injustice, and thirst for struggling for truth. She has a daughter (Pulatova Makhliyo Makhmudovna), who was born in 1984.

2. What are the specific issues she works on?

As it’s known, in the conditions of authoritarian regime, people start being scared of power, and this transfers into general fear, that paralyses their initiative and activity. It’s extremely important to inspire and convince people that they can struggle for their rights in such conditions as well. The candidate for nomination sets this task for herself. For solving this problem she has got everything: courage, strong logic and will.

She finds people, who are ready to struggle for civil society, for setting public control under the state structures.

3. Describe the work she is being nominated for and include information on:

1. How long she has been doing this work.
2. What particular methods she uses in her work.
3. The unique features of her work.

1. “Fiery Hearts Club” has started its activities on the 17^th January 2000 at the Margilan City Council of Peoples Democratic party of Uzbekistan. That year the club has published the brochure “Lets be vigilant”. It shows the importance of the role that society plays in forming the civil society. The candidate for nomination, after studying that makhalla “Zukhro” turned into the center for drugs trade, as the result of which the number of crimes was rising, got women-activists of the makhalla united and set a goal of rooting out the drugs trade in their makhalla. Firstly she, in co-operation with other women appealed with an opened-letter to the heads of regional administrative organizations, and local Khokimiyats with the call to start joint war against drugs business, she arranged some labour fairs in order to provide young people with work. Also, arranging regular opened disputes, she was arranging “round-tables” with the participation of representatives of population, officials, deputies and journalists. As the result in a very short time this makhalla “Zukhro”, which was among the first places for drugs trade and crime in the whole country, turned into a sample-model one.

Activities of the “Fiery Hearts Club”, which started determined struggle against crime, drugs business and corruption, firstly was supported on the republican level. Republican and local           TV showed special issues, “Turkiston”, “Uzbekiston Ovozi”, “Khurriyat” and other leading newspapers published some articles, dedicated to the activities and distribution of Club’s                               experience.

1. State structures often do not fulfil and violate the laws, which defend human rights, that they pass themselves. The candidate for nomination uses different peaceful measures for pressing the authorities to keep the laws rigorously. For example, she sends telegrams to the supreme organs of government, where she points out the problems, that have to be solved in short period of time. There she also stresses, that in case their demands are not fulfilled, people, whose rights are being abused, can start protests against lawlessness. Massive strikes, going on hunger-strikes, declaring boycotts, civil disobedience (refusal to pay for water, gas, electricity and other utilities), pickets and massive protests (for example, in November 2003, about a thousand aged people, disabled people and children closed the road Tashlak – Ferghana, demanding the governments resignation.In February 2004, about 400 retired people in Ferghana city protested against untimely pensions payments, on 16^th February the same year, teachers of the school number 20 in Kuva district went on a hunger-strike against breaking the law in sphere of public education, in May 2004 women arranged a protest in front of Margilan city department of interior, creating a “living” chain, closed the road for passing transport), appeal to the authorities of the country with open letters and appeals – that is a list of peaceful activities, that the candidate is using in her work. Having a close co-operation with the representatives of international mass media in Uzbekistan, and some local mass media, she rises the human rights issues.
2. The candidate for nomination can lead people, can convince them of her rightness and choosing the way of reaching a goal. She is an example for many people with her beliefs, spirit and will. She persuades people not to wait until others help, but to struggle for their rights themselves. She teaches them with the methods of struggling for their rights. It is very important when the most part of population have no knowledge of judicial and legal issues. She tries to get all people, who come to her with their problems, to believe in their strength. That’s why, many of them become members of the club, enlarging its rows. The candidate supports organizational abilities of every single person, his/her courage, ability to propose strong unusual ideas, and pays attention to his/her leadership qualities.4. Describe the relevant conditions (e.g. physical, economic, cultural, and security) that were present when she started her work.

Mutabar Tadjibayeva joined the human rights defending movement in 2000 and actively started struggling for human rights, showing that she was a brave person, not scared of hardships and pressure from the government.

Uzbekistan is an authoritarian country with all resulted consequences. Many spheres of human activities in Uzbekistan are being repressed, especially human rights defending. Human rights activists feel pressure even physical. The weak spot of human rights activists is their security. There is no guarantee that government can’t open a false criminal case against rights activists.

Rights activists are not safe economically as well, that’s why authorities press on the management of the organization where the human rights defender works, and that results his/her dismissal.

5. What long-term improvements/changes have resulted from her work?

Quite a few heads of administrative organs, local khokimiyats, who usually abused laws and thus led to breakdown of economy, and also some directors of JSCs, who embezzled the property of their own companies, had been dismissed.

Some criminal cases were opened against heads of organizations, for their criminal activities (for example, against the directorate of Ferghana Oil-Refining factory).

Also M. Tadjibayeva takes part in many civil, criminal, economical courts, as an empowered person or defender for people, standing up for their interests and rights.

Up to 90 % of courts decisions corresponded the truth and laws.

We can say, that the population of the region gained the hope that it is possible to resist the arbitrariness of the authorities and to aim at fair court decisions.

6. Who has benefited from the candidate’s work?

It is safe to say that people working in agricultural sector, who needed social security, women subjected to the home violence, disabled, retired people, teachers, students, children, local journalists, property owners, who were pressed by corrupted authorities, stock holders, bus and taxi drivers, employees of different organizations, businessmen, those who were accused in crime they didn’t do, but who had to confess under tortures, those who were arrested because of their religious beliefs and their relatives, had benefited from the candidate’s work.

7. What are the difficulties she is confronted with in her work, including personal risk/cost, impact on family, etc.

• On 14^th February 2002 Tadjibaeva together with 10 members of her organization came to Tashkent for the International conference, and they were arrested by police, being accused in the organization of terrorist actions against the government.
• On 1^st June 2002, the candidate for nomination informed the authorities that she was going to arrange a picket on 3^rd of June. The same day at 10pm, the car she was in was stopped by the police officers, and M.Tadjibayeva was arrested. She was brought to the Kirgulin department of interior, beaten up and humiliated with swear words, they also opened a criminal case against her, on the basis of false facts and unfair court.
• On 7^th November 2002, at the international meeting it was decided that on 8^th December on the Constitution Day, hundreds of people living in Ferghana, were going to have a picket in front of the Oliy Majlis (Parliament building) against the inaction of Constitution and other laws. There was an order to arrest Tadjibaeva on 5^th She had to hide herself in one of the villages. Later police surrounded the village, many houses of the village were searched, and people from the village were humiliated and insulted. The elders of the village were told that they were hiding the foreign agent, and all the members of the family, who helped in hiding her, would be arrested.
• On the same day, the head of Ferghana department of interior gave an order to arrest M.Tadjibaeva’s daughter.
• On 14^th October 2002Tadjibaeva was judged for arranging a picket in front of the building of Altiarik district criminal court; that picket was qualified as the demonstration or street procession.
• The relative of Tashkhodjaev, the head of Ferghana department of interior, Rakhim Ergashev, swindling, misappropriated the funds (7.305.000 Som), which Tadjibaeva took as a credit from the bank.
• There was an attempt to set her house on fire.
• There were 2 attempts of robbery of her house.
• There was an attempt to poison her.
• On 10^th June 2003, during the picket near the building of the region prosecutor’s office, law-enforcement agencies initiated the attempt of attack by a big group of women of easy virtue to the participants of the picket. They have beaten Tadjibayeva and her colleagues up. The documents, money and a mobile phone were forcibly taken away. M.Tadjibayeva appealed to the prosecutor’s office, whose employees had witnessed the uproar. On her appeal she was called to account herself.
• On 20^th August 2003, the group of women led by Tadjibayeva were picketing near the building of Altiarik district prosecutor’s office, demanding the resignation of officials from the General Prosecutor’s office of the Republic of Uzbekistan, who were supporting the drugs traders. And again about a hundred women of easy virtue attacked them. Picketing women were badly beaten up. Attacking women torn Tadjibayeva’s dress, they threw stones and pieces of bricks to her, strangling her with the rope. The employees of Altiarik department of interior had recorded this whole process with the video camera. M.Tadjibayeva was taken to the Central hospital of Margilan city in a very severe condition. She was demanding President’s resignation for 14 days when she went on a hunger-strike.
• At the time when she was at the hospital, employees of city and district khokimiyats were telling people that Tadjibaeva was a dangerous criminal such as Juma Namangani.
• While M.Tadjibayeva was at the hospital, the criminal case was opened against her on the basis of false documents that showed that she insulted the expert of forensic expertise and a police officer.
• On 11^th November 2003 at the Altiarik district criminal court there was a trial under Tadjibayeva’s case, but without her attendance. She was accused in arranging unapproved street procession. According to the court’s decision, representatives of the Department of court’s decision fulfillment carried out the distraint in her apartment.
• On 13^th Jannuary 2004 she applied for an exit visa to the Ferghana region department of interior. They didn’t give an exit visa to her, and still didn’t return the passport back.
• Not only Tadjibayeva is being pursued, but also her relatives, close friends, those who support her, members of the Club, etc.

8. Has her work inspired or influenced similar work elsewhere?

Thanks to the work of the candidate for nomination, the process of taking officials from state organizations, social organizations to court has started, as well as qualifying their activities as illegal, taking into account the law “Address to the court for illegal actions, abusing the rights and freedom of citizens”, which was accepted by Oliy Majlis on 30^th August 1995, but which still didn’t work. For a very short time, a lot of heads of local khokimiyats and administrative organs had been taken to court, as their activities were determined illegal by courts’ decisions. As a result, people understood that it’s much better to appeal to the court than to go to higher instances, and the number of applications to court had risen.

This initiative of the candidate for nomination became interesting for the human rights activists of Namangan, Andijan and Tashkent regions, and many of them exchanged the experience of taking the officials to court, and they got necessary information and educational aid on this issue.

9.  Explain in three sentences why the candidate deserves to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005.

PART III. Information about yourself (nominator)

1. Name – Galima Bukharbaeva
2. Organization – Institute for war and peace reporting
3. Position – project director in Uzbekistan
4. Address – Tashkent 700000, Center 1-1-168
5. Country – Uzbekistan
6. Phone/mobile phone – (99871) 132-02-93, (99897) 119-67-60
7. Fax – (99871) 152-22-49
8. E-mail – galima@iwpr.uz
9. Website – www.iwpr.net
10. Do you know the candidate personally? Under what circumstances have you encountered her and her work?

Yes, I know this candidate personally, she is the most active human rights defender in Ferghana valley, thanks to her many journalists, including me, find out a lot of information about violence of human rights. Mutabar Tadjibayeva is very brave and honest person, to deal with policy and to fight for freedom and human rights in Uzbekistan takes a big heart, and Mutabar has it and does her work perfectly.