Relatives of Murod Juraev, former MP of Uzbekistan, one of the political prisoners serving the longest sentence in Uzbek prisons, have lost hope that he may be released by amnesty, the closest of which will be announced on the occasion of the Constitution Day of Uzbekistan.

Murod Juraev’s wife, Kholbeka Juraeva, who met with her husband beginning of this month in Chirchik city prison, says to “Jarayon” that day by day she is losing her hope for his early release.

– I’m not looking forward to it (amnesty of Murod Juraev – “Jarayon”). Last year they said “on December 8 anyone who is over 60 would be released.” Many neighbors said to me: “See, they have announced an amnesty to those, who are 60 years old and older. Murod aka is also 60 years old. If God wills, he will be here soon.” However, the fact that he was 60 years old did not help him at all, – says Kholbeka Juraeva .

She also says that three weeks ago, when she visited her husband in prison in Chirchiq, he was in a very bad shape.

– Before his condition was much better. This time, his health has deteriorated. He says that he was severely tortured pressure. “Before lunch I am a bit better, but afternoon the blood pressure rises high, I can not even pick up the bricks,” he says. It turns out that there is a brick factory, and he works there. Probably, he loads the bricks into the car … He does not have a single tooth. If you do not have teeth, your stomach starts to hurt itself. I took him “Mezim” and some other drugs, fed him with the help of these drugs. In short, this time I returned from prison in a very bad condition, – says crying Kholbek Juraeva.

A member of the opposition party “Erk”, Murod Juraev, who has been kept in many prisons and colonies in Uzbekistan for the last nineteen years, was arrested on September 18, 1994. The oppositionist was charged with attempting to overthrow the government. In March 1995, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison. After, several times – in 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2012 – the former MP was charged with “breaching the order” of the colony, and his sentence was prolonged. The most interesting thing is that every time his prison term was extended shortly before the end of the sentence.

In addition, Kholbeka Juraeva says, “Murod Juraev is put in a solitary confinement on the eve of every holiday.”

– Before each holiday he is always thrown into isolator. If the prisoner is put in isolator, he is not subject to amnesty. I ‘m used to it. I know that before the holiday I should not go to meet with him, because he is in the solitary confinement anyway. They neither show him, nor apply amnesty to him, because there, inside the prison, he is considered as “offender of “internal order”, – says Kholbeka Juraeva, adding that inmates convicted several times are released under amnesty, by not her husband, who had clean record prior his imprisonment.

Ms Juraeva notes with regret that the Uzbek authorities keen not responding to calls from local and international human rights organizations demanding the release of political prisoner Murod Juraev.

Murad Juraev, who was born in Mubarak city of Kashkadarya region, and once mayor of this city, turned 61 this year. If Uzbek authorities do not again accuse the opposition member of “violating internal order” of the prison and extend his term, Murad Juraev will be released in 2015.

Shokirbek ASADOV