On Monday, October 1, International human rights organization “Fiery Hearts Club”, the Committee to release the prisoners of conscience in Uzbekistan, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, the International Federation for Human Rights and the World Organization Against Torture issued a joint press-release in which they condemned the recent persecution of human rights activist Farhodkhon Mukhtorov in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The press release was also signed by Tolib Yakubov, honorary president of the International Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan.

“Our organizations are concerned that Mr. Farhodkhon Mukhtorov may be subjected to torture if returned to Uzbekistan. We call on the authorities of Kyrgyzstan to ensure his and his family’s safety. Uzbek human rights activist Farhodkhon Mukhtorov, who seeks protection in Kyrgyzstan, is under the threat of deportation to a country where torture is widespread,”- says the press-release issued by international human rights organizations.

“Jarayon” recently reported that on September 14 Kyrgyz law enforcement officials in Bishkek illegally detained and mistreated Uzbek human rights Farhodkhon Mukhtorov. The security officials broke the door of Mukhtorov’s apartment, where he lived with his wife and three children, tied his hands, beat him and took him to the department to combat terrorism under the Interior Ministry of Kyrgyzstan. There, rights activist Mukhtorov was interrogated for several hours by police officers and was threatened with extradition to Uzbekistan.

Later it was explained that Farhodkhon Mukhtorov was arrested at the request of the law enforcement bodies of Uzbekistan, who accused him of attempting to overthrow the constitutional order. Activist is put on the international wanted list in Uzbekistan. Mukhtorov was released with the help of Kyrgyz human rights activists.

However, when he returned to his apartment, he found that the police had changed the locks on the door. It must be noted that police illegally confiscated his documents and electronic devices, including laptop, USB drive and VCR.

A few days later Uzbek human rights activist was summoned to the district police department in Bishkek, where a police captain Nurbek Amrakulov said that anonymous caller on the helpline accused Mukhtorov of being a member of the radical organizations, such as “Hizb-ut-Tahrir” and “Islamic Jihad Union.” Farhodkhon Mukhtorov says he was bewildered by these statements.

“I was never a member of these organizations. Besides, I’m generally against the ideas of these organizations,” – said activist Farhodkhon Mukhtorov to “Jarayon”.

Later, on September 28, Mukhtorov told to our website that he had been again summoned to the police department of Bishkek.

“Police officer, whose name was Azat, asked me various questions, such as who I was, where and when I arrived in Kyrgyzstan, what happened on September 14 of this year, who broke the door of the apartment that I rented, why, and if I was going to cover the damage. Then an investigator named Bakyt started asking me the same questions.

Mother of the landlord was present during the interrogation, and she tried to put moral and psychological pressure on me accusing me in absurd wrongdoings. It seems that she was used as a tool in the hands of someone to put moral and psychological pressure on me and someone taught her that. In fact, previously there were several attempts to recruit me by local security forces that ended unsuccessfully, “- said Farhodkhon Mukhtorov.

International organizations, authors of the press-release to support the Uzbek human rights defender Farhodkhon Mukhtorov, express deep concern about these acts of persecution against him. They call upon the Kyrgyz authorities to provide physical and psychological integrity of the human rights activist and members of his family, to assist them in returning to the apartment where they lived, and to return all their belongings confiscated during a search of their apartment.

Also, international human rights organizations urge the Kyrgyz authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the illegal arrest and mistreatment of Farhodkhon Mukhtorov, and prosecution of those responsible in accordance with international standards.

“Our organizations also call upon the UNHCR representatives in Kyrgyzstan to intervene with Kyrgyz authorities in these recent incidents and to take steps to facilitate the resettlement of Mukhtorov and his family in a third country,” states a press-release of the international human rights organizations.

Farhodkhon Mukhtorov was a member Human Rights Alliance of Uzbekistan. In 2009, he was convicted of fraud and sentenced to five years in prison. The authorities accused him of taking a bribe of five million Uzbek soms.

However, Mukhtorov denies all the allegations. On December 1, 2010, Farhodkhon Mukhtorov was released on parole. Ten days after his release, human rights activist had to leave Uzbekistan and seek political asylum. Since then Mukhtorov and his family live in Bishkek.