Islam Karimov, one of the most brutal dictators in the world, has been illegally ruling Uzbekistan for quarter a century, making the population slaves in the 21st century.

Karimov has transformed one of the most promising countries in the Central Asian region into the space of violence, lawlessness, corruption and hypocrisy, driving the country to a standstill, which can be overcome only through means of violence.

Socio-economic problems in Uzbekistan have forced millions of our fellow citizens to leave their homes and seek the means for living in the near and far foreign countries. Dues to lack of education and lack of skilled occupations, Uzbek are forced to work in low paid jobs, often without signing the necessary documents with the employer. Due to legal illiteracy of migrant workers, they become the subject of human trafficking, and for years stay as labor prisoners at the hands of dishonest people.

While Karimov and his entourage have been stealing the natural resources that belong to the people of Uzbekistan for the past two decades, more than eight million working population of the country are forced to become migrant workers and are scattered around the world.

Self-restraint, patience and shyness have always been distinctive features of the Uzbek people. However, in the past few years the world’s media have been quite often reporting about mass arrests of girls from Uzbekistan charged with prostitution. When compared to migrant workers from other former Soviet Union countries, migrants from Uzbekistan are the most deprived of civil rights. They systematically become an object of ridicule, humiliation, abuse, and sometimes even the subject of ruthless killings.

Article 22 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan guarantees legal protection to all its citizens, both within the country and abroad. Because of the authoritarian regime in Uzbekistan, where the laws act only for the benefit of the president’s family and his entourage, multimillion migrant workers have to rely only on God and on their strength, not expecting any help from official authorities. Despite the fact that remittances migrant workers send home make up 25% of country’s GDP, president Islam Karimov officially criticizes migrant workers and does not hide his disgust and loathing of Uzbeks who are forced to work abroad (www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCk9kesr26k).

Today’s events around migrant workers in Russia yet again prove the powerless situation of our compatriots, who deprived all legal means to protect themselves. After the incident on July 27 at the Matveyevski market in Moscow, the authorities have been taking massive and brutal actions against migrant workers in Russia. The most vulnerable ethnic migrant workers are migrants from Uzbekistan – due to their large number and authorities’ negative attitude to them. Detentions without explanation on the basis of race, beatings, lack of medical care and the necessary conditions for life, keeping detained women and men in the same room with no hot food and no humane treatment – this is what our compatriots face today in Russia.

To hide the massive crimes of corruption of senior government officials and law enforcement institutions, the Russian authorities are using PR-technologies and forming a public opinion by escalate the situation and accusing migrants in nearly all problems in the country. Unaided by the official authorities of Uzbekistan, our compatriots are still in a very difficult and critical situation.

A number of NGOs in Russia, including “Civic Assistance”, have been actively involved in protection of the rights of migrant workers. They also organize public protests to raise awareness. Civil society activists met with arrested migrants, learning their living conditions in the places of their detention. “Civic Assistance” is planning to organize a rally on August 13 devoted to the problem of illegal camp for migrant workers created in Golyanovo. Our organization also decided to join the rally.

Dear mothers and sisters! Dear compatriots!

Thanks to the support of Russian president Vladimir Putin in 2005, Islam Karimov shot the Andijani demonstrators, who demanded the rule of law and economic reforms from country’s authorities. Staying silent then, we have only strengthened the power of the dictator Karimov.

Today, our fellow citizens in Russia are in a very poor situation. In order to feed their families, they are working on the most difficult jobs, seven days a week, every day face humiliation and abuse by employers and law enforcement officials. They are beaten and maimed. They are deprived of basic comfort, healthcare and are treated inhumanely. They have to suffer all these torments just for the sake of feeding their families, which is you.

Every people have the right to be happy, and every nation has the right to the realization of this dream. Today, each of us has a choice: to remain silent or to express our views on the powerless position of labor migrants from Uzbekistan. The future of our country depends on the on our choice.

It is the Russian human rights organizations and international NGOs that are engaged in protection of our fellow citizens. Why the opposition of Uzbekistan is not acting, is not expressing its opinion on current events? Why Uzbek human rights organizations, even those working outside Uzbekistan, are silent on the lawlessness happening to their own brothers and sisters? What the Uzbek diaspora in Russia is doing? Why they do not seek information about the status of their countrymen? Why they are not officially reporting in the media about the illegal actions of the Russian law enforcement agencies against migrant workers from Uzbekistan?

There are many powerful and influential Uzbeks living in different parts of the world. Why are they silently watching as their relatives are mocked and humiliated? Where is the national solidarity? Apparently people forget about the true values in pursuit of wealth and well-being.

Addressing the female audience, the team of the International human rights organization “Fiery Hearts Club” expects to wake up maternal feelings towards our fellow countrymen deprived of elementary sympathy. On August 13, committee “Civil Assistance” is planning a rally in Moscow dedicated to the problem of illegal camp for migrant workers in Golyanovo. We urge every woman, who is not indifferent to the fate of our fellow citizens, to express their opinion on punitive measures carried out by the Russian authorities against migrant workers.

You can join the ongoing action and express your opinion. It does not matter if you are at home, at work, on the road or in transport. Have your photo taken together with your family, loved ones or friends, holding on the background of one of the slogans written by you, any slogan that you prefer.

For example: “No to fascism in 21st century”, “Impunity always leads to commiting more serious crimes”, “All people are equal”, “Stop corruption”, etc. You can post your photos on following social networking pages of the International human rights organization “Fiery Hearts Club”:

www.facebook.com/jarayoncom.vebsahifasi

www.odnoklassniki.ru/profile/551027944114

www.twitter.com/JarayonCom

www.vk.com/id188096246

Mutabar Tadjibayeva

Head of the International Human Rights Organization
“Fiery Hearts Club”

08.11.2013
Paris, France