Dear reader!

On April 12, 2012, Yves Daccord, director general of the International Committee of the Red Cross, posted on his Twitter page the news that the committee stopped its work in Uzbek prisons.

Daccord said that the leadership of the committee came to this decision because of the unconstructive attitude of the Uzbek authorities.

Previously, members of this prestigious international organization has met with many of the prisoners in the jails of Uzbekistan, and tried to solve their problems. Of course, this process has not always been easy.

In this regard, “Jarayon” begins publishing a series of materials received from relatives of prisoners, as well as from former prisoners who met in Uzbek prisons with representatives of the Red Cross.

Perhaps these articles will help our readers better understand the reasons for the refusal of ICRC to visit prisons in Uzbekistan…

The first in this series is a letter by Mohira Ortikova, wife of Kayum Ortikov, resident of Chirchik city and a former security guard of the British Embassy in Tashkent, who in 2008 was sentenced to many years in prison under the article of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan – “human trafficking” and is now serving a sentence in one of the colonies in Navoi city. In 2010, in colony, Ortikov was able to meet with representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Mohira Ortikova’s letter

What Mrs. Ombudsman prefers?

On January 9, 2009, my husband Kayum Ortikov was sentenced to six years in prison under the Article 135 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan. On May 6 of the same year we were informed that he was being tortured. I was confused from the horror of the word “torture”. I did not know where to go; at that time I did not even have a clue about who could help me.

On the advice of the lawyer, I have decided to appeal to the International Committee of the Red Cross, and in the morning of the same day I went to the head office of the organization. There I was met by two employees of the organization Marsel and Ahmed. I introduced myself and told them about the reason for my visit. They asked about who my husband was and why he was put in jail. The Committee members wrote down all my words as a very important information.

They told me that visits of the Red Cross to prisons in Uzbekistan were suspended, and that the organization was in talks with the authorities to resume its visits to places of detention. They also told me that the Committee of the Red Cross did not have the authority to influence the courts and their decisions. However, they have assured me that if the committee continued its visits to Uzbek prisons, they would find out about the status of Kayum Ortikov, conditions of his detention, how we was being treated, and help him if possible.

After May 6, 2009, when my husband Kayum Ortikov was imprisoned, there was not a single influential organization in the Republic of Uzbekistan where I did not address to find about the causes of wrongful conviction of my husband and torture used against him. I have received the same official response from all of them. Commissioner of the Oliy Majlis (Parliament) of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights (Ombudsman), Sayyora Rashidova, wrote me back that she would examine my application, write to responsible government bodies and answer me back. Although, Sayyora Rashidova is a person, who, after receiving the complaint, is authorized to visit the prison and investigate the situation. However, Mrs. Rashidova (and other officials) instead of protecting the rights of the Uzbek people, wished to create conditions for humiliating and mentally breaking them.

Almost a year after my visit to the Committee of the Red Cross, at the beginning of April 2010, representatives of the organization visited the colony 64/29 in Navoi, where my husband Kayum Ortikov was serving his sentence. During a week-long visit of ICRC representatives in the prison, my husband was transferred from his permanent working place at the “teahouse” to garden to work as a gardener. For his “protection” he was accompanied by four “snitches.” When the staff of the Red Cross left the prison, the “teahouse”, where Kayum Ortikov previously worked, was “thoroughly” inspected. During the inspection they found verses from Koran. Then, in order to “clarify” the situation, Captain S. Dustboev summoned Kayum Ortikov and new “teahouse” keeper, who started working there after my husband, to his office. Jail officer asked both about who was in contact with the “Wahhabis.” “Teahouse” keeper said he did not know anything and put everything on Kayum Ortikov.

It is quite clear why S. Dustboev accused Kayum Ortikov of involvement in Wahhabism, and demanded from him to write an explanation on his own will. But Ortikov said he did not have any relationship with the Wahhabis and therefore was not obliged to write the explanation letter. After that Dustboev openly told about his hidden motives. He asked Ortikov about who of the visiting representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross het in prison, what information he gave them, and if any of the ICRC representatives were British. The captain threatened Kayum Ortikov that he would be charged with “wahhabism” if he would not write a letter of explanation at his own will. However, Ortikov flatly refused to write such nonsense. Then several officials accused Ortikov of breach internal order of prison, beat him with sticks and put him in solitary confinement for five days.

Today the prisons in Uzbekistan became a hotbed of the vilest, the most brutal and the most infamous torture in the whole worldwide. However, the Uzbek authorities are trying to hide it from the international community. Termination of activities of the International Committee of the Red Cross, which could pass to the whole world information about the atrocities of Uzbek authorities, indicates that from now on the fate of Uzbek detainees will be even more pitiable.

Mohira ORTIQOVA