Dear readers, fellow countrymen, supporters!

International human rights organization “Fiery Hearts Club” sincerely wishes you a happy new year and all the best in coming 2013!

The year 2012 was not different from the previous years for the Uzbek civil society in terms of human rights. Authoritarian regime in Uzbekistan continued to exist and strengthen. The government continued to violate the fundamental human rights, especially political rights of Uzbek citizen.

Unfortunately, geopolitics still remains to be one of the central enemies of human rights and democracy. In 2012, the West, particularly the U.S., ceased to notice gross violations of human rights in Uzbekistan. This reason is the geopolitical pragmatism and cooperatio

n between the United States and Uzbekistan. However, the real situation on the ground has not improved. On the contrary, the repressive regime in Uzbekistan is becoming more frightening for citizens from year to year. There is only one source of fear in Uzbek society – it is the authorities and the repressive regime of Islam Karimov.

The year 2012 was marked by the monopolization of public policy of Uzbekistan by Gulnara Karimova, president Islam Karimov’s eldest daughter. According to international organizations and observers, Gulnara Karimova even outpaced her father, Islam Karimov, on the frequency of being mentioned in the Uzbek and foreign media. Our concerns are increasing that Uzbekistan may de facto cease to be a republic, and become repressive monarchy, as Gulnara Karimova has been stating louder and louder her claims for inheritance of power in the country.

Mass arrests of believers, independent Muslims, continued. The government also continued the policy of purification of Uzbekistan from dissident minds. This year Nigara Khidoyatova, leader of the opposition party “Ozod Dekhkonlar”, was forced to leave Uzbekistan due to continues persecution by the government.

Many other representatives of civil society and human rights defenders have been forced to decrease their activity or even stop for good. Dozens of human rights activists, democratic opposition members, and thousands of religious and political prisoners are still kept in notorious prisons of Uzbekistan known for their cruel torture.

However, we, the representatives of civil society, have reached a very important victory for the regime in 2012. This year, after long years of pressure on the authorities of Uzbekistan, Karimov’s regime was forced to stop using forced child labor in the agricultural sector, especially in producing cotton. In 2013, we will continue our work to protect and strengthen this important achievement.

In the coming year of 2013 we will continue the work on protection of human rights in Uzbekistan, and we look forward to cooperating with each of You.

We sincerely wish you a Happy New Year, and health, happiness and success during 2013. Let the coming new year mark historically successful changes for thirty million population of Uzbekistan – positive changes in protection and respect for human rights, beginning of democratic reforms, last year of the dictatorship, and the beginning of freedom for all Uzbeks!

Mutabar Tadjibaeva

Head of International human rights organizations “Fiery Hearts Club”

Paris, France

December 30, 2012