“As for Mutabar Tadjibayeva: You know, when a person has nowhere to go and nobody to apply to, well, it is his or her nature to invent various legends. Tadjibayeva is no exception. When she was serving a sentence in a women’s prison in 2008, she was sick very much, she had cancer, female cancel, well, as they say, it was cancer. She asked for help with tears in her eyes. In such cases, we are obliged to provide [help] and get consent of the convicted or sentenced person to deliver certain medical care. A surgery on the person was successfully performed, for which she expressed appreciation several times, and she was released, as they say, on parole to get further treatment. Later on she started spreading all sorts of necessary-unnecessary talks saying what you want to hear.” (Shodiev’s words are provided unchanged – Jarayon’s note).

Mr.Abdukarim Shodiev

There is not a single person who would not be delighted by the theater performance which you and Akmal Saidov staged during a regular event in the UN Committee against Torture in Geneva. Having lawyers and international experts as well as representatives of international organizations look into your mouth, you shamelessly and dishonestly started lying to everybody. I decided to apply to you, not to Akmal Saidov, who bent over backwards and fanned hysteria in order to cover up crimes of the government of Uzbekistan.

I met you twice in person on different occasions, which also is the main reason why I am appealing to you. I compared our meetings with you and your current shameless speech before representatives of the UN Committee against Torture, and being aware of your role as one of the main persons in application of tortures against prisoners, I thought to myself “can a person be really such a hypocrite?”.

When I was kept in cell # 6 in the detention center # 10 in Fergana, I was visited by representatives of a special commission headed by you. Two prisoners, Marina Bondarenko and Minzulina Zulfiya, were in the group of visitors, who were delivered from a women’s prison for a “special trip” to apply torture against me. Your visit was made on 26 October, and two days earlier, on 24 October, 2005, I had gone on hunger strike as Marina Bondarenko put a knife to my neck and tortured me.

During the visit of the commission into my cell, Bondarenko told you that she had a certain statement for you, after which you and she left the cell. The same day policemen on duty told Marina Bondarenko that her lawyer “delivered a parcel” for her and gave her a few packs of cigarettes, draughts, a radio set and a few other things. Later on I found out that that it was your gift to “snitch” Marina Bondarenko for her excellent performance of your instructions. I also learned that that woman was considered the most brutal among prisoners born in prison, who have no relatives and whose services are used by jailers to apply tortures against religious and political prisoners.

The second time I saw you on 15 August, 2007 in the women’s prison. That day it was found out that prisoner Lobar Urinova from unit 3 of group 31 started stealing foodstuffs from her cellmates’ bags unable to endure hunger in the women’s prison. Then she was tortured by her cellmates. After Lobar learned that she would be punished, early in the morning she buried in the sand on the roof of the medical unit fearing of tortures. When dogs, special police forces and representatives of other agencies failed to find Lobar, the prisoners suspected of involvement in Lobar’s murder or escape were brutally tortured. And then a group of officials led by you came to the women’s prison.

That day none of the prisoners were allowed to have any breakfast or lunch. All of them were lined up in the sun, and because of hunger and weakness, they started to swoon one by one. And I still remember you coming closer to them and ordering the prison administration to keep them in the rank. “Even if they are going to die, let them die in the rank,” you said. And when you said something to Rano Tashkhudzhaeva, the prison supervisor, she gave an order saying loudly: “Let prisoner Tadjibayeva come out of the rank.” Being weak, I stepped forward leaning against the other two prisoners.

You looked in my face with hatred as if you saw Urinova’s killer, and shouted: “If these brutes do not say where Urinova is, do not give they even water! Keep them hungry!” Later that day Lobar was found by 7.00 p.m., but until then all women were prohibited even to drink water following your order. Because of the unbearable heat that day, state of health of many prisoners deteriorated, but nobody cared. The fainted prisoners were laid down in a row under the trees.

Having seen the lie on the video, which you uttered in Geneva, including the lie you said about me, I remembered that incident happened a long time ago.

When you and your colleagues tried to have everybody believe the veracity of the legend that tortures are not applied in pre-trial detention centers, basements of administrative authorities, and prisons, I thought that you, knowing that one day the lie will be revealed, could not even stop yourself from making up this legend.

During the session in Geneva you loudly said I had cancer in the prison in Uzbekistan. I want to ask you: “Can you provide proof of this legend of yours?” Let’s drive emotions away and validate your opinions from a legal point of view! Then it will become clear how you play the hypocrite and once again confirm that you lied to the participants in Geneva in order to conceal the crime of forced sterilization, which is widely applied in Uzbekistan. Because the documents I have fully confirm the falsity of your words.

For example, M. M.Salikhov, a special prosecutor from the prosecutor’s office of Tashkent province of Uzbekistan, said the following in letter # 5/M-08 dated 18 January, 2008 addressed to my family:

“… As it turned out, during imprisonment in Facility UY 64/7, your sister M. I. Tadjibayeva was examined by specialists and had treatment.

In particular: during the mentioned period for timely identification of diseases, the composition of her blood was tested 10 times and she was X-rayed 4 times. Also, she was examined 17 times by a gynecologist, dentist, therapist, psychiatrist and other specialists. She had ambulant therapy 12 times and she head treatments in hospitals 4 times. Last time she was hospitalized on 18 November 2007 and stayed there until 7 December with the diagnoses of chronic tracheitis, ARD and cystitis. Then she was discharged from the hospital and transferred to the prison unit.

While serving her sentence, your sister did not apply to the medical unit with complaints of pain in the heart, kidneys, joints or leg oedema. No such diseases were discovered.

During the inspection, the circumstances mentioned in the statement under the title “Echoes behind barbed wire” have not been confirmed…”.

If I had a surgery on 17 March 2008, then why my family members were handed an official document on 18 January 18, which said that I was perfectly healthy? Or cancer develops so quickly? Can the person, who had been absolutely healthy two months before, have a surgery after such a period of time because of cancer?

According to Article 32 (Provision of medical and social assistance to citizens suffering from social diseases) of Law 265-1 of the Republic of Uzbekistan titled “Health Protection”, which was signed by Islam Karimov on 29 August, 1996, “Citizens suffering socially significant diseases are provided health and social care in health care facilities as well as constant medical supervision.”

The list of socially significant diseases and benefits for people suffering from social diseases are approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan jointly with corresponding ministries and agencies establish types and scope of health and social care, which should be provided to persons suffering from socially significant diseases.

According to the first application of Decree # 153 issued by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan on 20 March, 1997 titled “Approval of the list of socially significant diseases and providing privileges to persons suffering from such diseases”, oncological diseases, malignant neoplasms have been included into the list of socially significant diseases.

Decree # 153 of the Cabinet of Ministers says:

2. The Council of Ministers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, regional administrations and Tashkent city administration, ministries and agencies, institutions and organizations must provide all privileges to persons suffering from social diseases.

3. The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan must determine amount and types of care to deliver to people suffering from social diseases within a month”.

If I really had been suffering from cancer and for that reason I had a surgery, then why “was I not provided medical and social care in relevant medical facilities related to public health, and why was I not provided with permanent medical supervision?”

In fact, I was in the country from June 2, the day I was released from the prison, to 13 September. Then why did you not secure the right provided for a patient suffering from a socially significant disease according to the legislation?

On the contrary, on 9 June 2008, when my state of health worsened, Gulnora Ruzimatova, the gynecologist of the silk-spinning factory clinic in the town of Marghilan, flatly refuse to examine me and provide medical care to me following your orders. Several times, when I was taken to hospital by ambulance, doctors on duty did not dare to admit me and provide medical care. As a result, my condition worsened.

According to Article 25 “The right of citizens to access information on the state of health” of the Law titled “Protection of Citizens’ Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan,” every citizen has the right to obtain information about their health status, including information on test results, diseases, diagnosis and prognosis, types of treatment, associated risks, possible options for medical interventions, consequences of such intervention and results of the provided treatment.”

Health information is provided to the citizen. In respect of the person under fourteen as well as the citizen recognized as incapable in the manner prescribed by law, health information is provided to their legal representatives by the attending medical doctor, the head of the health care facility, or other professionals directly involved in examination and treatment.

Extracts from medical records reflecting the state of his/her health are provided following requests made by citizens.

The information contained in the medical records of the citizen is medical secrecy and can be provided without his/her consent only on the grounds specified in the third part of Article 45 of the given Law”.

On 16-26 June, I was taken to ‘Kalbi solim’ Private Clinic in Marghilan following deterioration of my health status. I remember that time the doctors found it difficult to diagnose me and prescribe appropriate treatment due to lack of documents on my surgery in prison and lack of documented information about the disease because of which I had the surgery. Kamoliddin Obidov, the Head of Marghilan Interior Department forbade me to go to Tashkent to visit the Oncology Center, and seized my passport so that I could not get out of town.

All my written requests to the Surgery Department of the Cancer Hospital in Tashkent, the administration of the women’s prison, Yuliya Kumarina, the chief prison doctor to provide documents concerning the surgery I had on 17 March, 2008 have remained unanswered.

At the end of June 2008, three months after the surgery, I managed to get a one-page extract from my medical history # 1046/110 signed by professor Nargiza Atakhanova, the chief doctor of the Surgery Department of Tashkent Oncology Center, D.M.Isakova, the deputy chief doctor of the hospital, and Nargiza Zahirova, the attending doctor.

It reads as follows: “The patient had a surgery – laparotomy. Separation of adhesions. Amputation of the uterine appendages. Suturing of deseroused [without serous] parts of the straight intestine.”

If I really had been suffering from cancer and for this reason I had a surgery, why was I not provided with a copy of the medical history until today so that I can continue treatment in the future and remain under medical supervision?

Why was even the extract from my medical history given to me only three months later? Why does the extract not say that the surgery was performed because of my cancer?

If one believes your lies, I tearfully asked for help and wrote a statement. It turns out that by law one is required to take a written consent of the prisoner to provide medical treatment.

According to Article 26 titled “Consent to medical intervention” of the Law “Protection of health of citizens”, informed, voluntary consent of the citizen is prerequisite for medical intervention.

In cases, when the condition of the citizen does not allow him or her to express their will, and if a medical intervention is urgent, the issue about medical intervention is to be resolved by a council of physicians, and if it is impossible to collect such a council, it is to be resolved by the attending doctor (the doctor in duty) with subsequent notification of officials from health care institution.”

If I had been informed that I had suffered from cancer and had given a written consent to surgery and removal of the uterus, then can you provide the UN Committee against Torture with a copy of a document written and signed by me? With what documents can you prove that I thanked you several times and appealed to you?

In your opinion, it appears that “after parole, I was allowed to leave the country to continue treatment and only after that I began spreading necessary-unnecessary things among representatives of international organizations, which they want to hear.”

In May 2008, my daughter Mahliyo was given a long date with me. Then I gave her my appeal entitled “Save captive of the island of torture!” so that she could somehow publicize it. My daughter put my appeal into Zebo’s diaper, my granddaughter, but during the search they found it when she was leaving the prison. Then the first real disciplinary punishment was applied against me as it was the first time I violated the internal regulations of the prison.

When they processed documents to apply disciplinary punishment against me, I lay on a row of chairs and answered questions of the person who interrogated me. I still remember speaking to Alexandra Yakubovich, the head of the operation department who interrogated me. I said that my health was deteriorating day by day due to the illegal surgery performed against my will, and that if I die because of that surgery I ask to conduct an independent investigation. I said that I regret that I could not get my appeal out of the prison that I had been writing all night long.

However, starting from the day of my release, I have been making speeches through the mass media, in which I declare that I am displeased that a surgery was performed on me and accuse the Government of Uzbekistan that until today I have not been provided with documents in regard to that surgery. As evidence, I can provide the story dated 5 July, 2008, which was published online by Fergana media website titled “Uzbekistan: M. Tadjibayeva suspects the authorities of intentional infliction of harm to her health.”

“On Friday, 4 July, prominent Uzbek human rights activist Mutabar Tadjibayeva, who spent about three years in an Uzbek prison for her human rights activities, released an open letter. In her statement, Mutabar accuses the authorities of intentionally causing harm to her health while in custody.

“According to the human rights activist, her health sharply deteriorated after hardships she after suffered in the prison. While in jail, she had an unknown gynecological surgery, during which, according to Tadjibayeva’s assumption, Uzbek doctors performed an unqualified interference in her internal organs and under control of the authorities, they performed “surgical actions that will inevitably reduce her lifetime.”

According to the human rights activist, after her release, she received general health-improving treatment in a private clinic in Marghilan. However, local gynecologists could not properly examine her due to lack of a case history related to the surgery performed during her stay in the prison.”

Mr.Shodiev!

If, as you said, I had not been a victim of tortures, in this case whom should I blame as before my imprisonment I was absolutely healthy and it is in prison that I got cancer and needed a surgery? Due to what reason did I get this disease? Is it not you, who is guilty for my cancer which appeared in the prison where I was kept in light summer clothing in winter time and where I was kept 112 days in a punishment cell?

Each line of my complaint to the UN Committee against Torture written in February 2013 with assistance of lawyers from such international organizations as FIDH and REDRESS, was written based on truth, facts and documents confirming this truth, and not on the basis of the legend which you spoke about during your speech at the Committee’s session.

The Uzbek Government had to submit their responses to the UN with respect to my arguments in the complaint prior to 6 August, 2013. You asked to postpone the session to 16 September. However, two months have passed since the deadline which you requested.

Why, instead of providing arguments to prove the falsity of the statements mentioned in my complaint, you are trying to cause me moral suffering and convince me that I had cancer? Why have you not provided yet proof of the falsity of the arguments in my complaint consisting of 68 pages and 240 points? What prevents you to do that?

Mr.Shodiev!

Prisoners, who have become torture victims and died in prisons in Uzbekistan headed by you, will never be able to testify about your inhuman crimes and will not be able to demand that you answer for your crimes. Today political prisoners and prisoners of conscience suffering from your tortures, who have been imprisoned for their religious beliefs, are powerless to testify because the public is deprived of the opportunity to hear them crying out for help.

But I promise that, as one of the torture victims and former political prisoner, I will publish a special magazine with evidences to prove that each of your answers to 41 written questions of the experts of the UN Committee against Torture is a lie, and at the next session of the Committee I will personally distribute copies of this magazine to representatives of each participating countries and each member of the Committee. I will be personally involved in the work of the Committee, presenting documents confirming your crimes and will testify about crimes committed by the Uzbek government. I very much hope that former prisoners, victims of tortures, freed from your violence, will also contribute to your denunciation.

Mr.Shodiev!

You know, time will come when my grandchildren will be proud that they are descendants of Tadjibayeva, and your grandchildren will try to hide that they are grandchildren of Abdukarim Shodiev, the main inventor of the torture mechanism, whose hands are steeped in blood. I believe that such day will come!

In my book titled “Captive of the Island of Torture”, which I have completed, and which is being translated into English, I described in details your crimes and crimes of the government, that you serve. I hope that in the future a film will be made based on this book, and, of course, the protagonist of this film will be you.

Mutabar Tadjibayeva, former prisoner, torture victim