Uzbekistan’s imprisoned independent journalist Dilmurod Sayid lost all hope of early release under an amnesty.

According to Obid Saidov, younger brother of Dilmurod Sayyid, he visited his brother on December 14 of last year in the colony in Karshi, where the journalist was transferred after receiving treatment in Sangorod (prison hospital UA 64 /18, located in Tashkent – “Jarayon”).

In a conversation with “Jarayon”, Obid Saidov said that his brother’s health was not in good shape.

– In December, I was able to see my brother in a prison in Karshi . I was given a date for four hours. In October, he had his chest x-rayed, and the doctors said that the results came out good. Therefore, after the Sangorod he was not returned to the colony for tuberculosis patients in Navoi, but was transferred to a labor colony in Karshi. During the last meeting I prepared some mean, we sat and talked. But he ate almost nothing. Brother was very thin, weighs about 55-56 kilograms, and has become so small, his hair all white. Dilmurod said that he was working in the colony, perhaps he did not want to upset me and said that he was not given the hard work, – says Obid Saidov.

In the beginning of October last year, “Jarayon” reported that an independent journalist Dilmurod Sayyid was transferred to Tashkent from Navoi colony for prisoners suffering from tuberculosis (Dilmurod Sayyid is sick with TB – “Jarayon”). Then, in a conversation with journalists of our website, Obid Saidov expressed hope for an early release of his brother.

– My brother is morally killed, and does not believe in getting free under amnesty. He always thinks about our sick mother, his dead wife and daughter. During one of the visits Dilmurod said he was not alive anymore, but simply existed. He even gave me a farewell note, – says Obid Saidov .

Sayyid’s brother shared with our journalist an excerpt from that note. In it, Dilmurod Sayyid says:

“I don’t worry about the past. The rest of my life is not interesting for me now! If by any chance, by fate, I die in these places, please do as I asked you before, do not bother yourselves taking my body to Tashkent, bury me in Bulungur next to Barno and Rukhshona!”.

Dilmurod Sayyid’s 34 -year-old wife Barno Jumanova and their only daughter, 6-year-old Rukhshona, died in 2009 in a car accident. Sadly, the car accident happened when they were on the road to the colony in Navoi to meet with him.

Sayyid’s colleagues from independent journalists and human rights activists community have repeatedly noted the ruthlessness of the Uzbek authorities, who not only unjustly condemned journalist using fabricated accusations, but also did not allow him to come out of prison to attend the funeral of his wife and only child.

Journalist’s elderly mother was also stricken by long prison term sentence given to her son. This year she turns 89 years. Previously, media outlets reported that during Sayyid’s trial his mother had brought a knife to the courtroom and wanted to kill herself in the eyes of all in case her son gets imprisoned. Fortunately, knife was taken away from her with force before she could hurt herself.

Obid Saidov, younger brother of Dilmurod Sayyid, says that two years ago there was an accident involving their mother that had negative impact on her health.

– On May 9, God willing, my mother turns 89 years old. In 2008, my bother Sultonmurod suddenly, in 2009 my second brother, Dilmurod, was put in prison, then mom every four-five days, a total of over fifty days, in very hot weather, traveled to Samarkand to participate in trials, in late 2009 my mother buried daughter- in-law Barno and granddaughter Rukhshona, all this had heavy impact on her health! But the most difficult accident happened in April 2012, when she fell and broke her femur. It was a very heavy blow, as terrible pain affected her memory. Since then I’m not working, I sit at home and look after our mother. Mom cannot move independently, behaves like a little child, remembers almost nothing, but sometimes the memory returns to her and she cries asking about Dilmurod, – says Obid Saidov in a conversation with “Jarayon”.

Meanwhile, head of the international human rights organization “Fiery Hearts Club”, Mutabar Tadjibayeva, urges the Uzbek authorities to be merciful to the aged and ailing mother of convicted journalist and calls to release him under an amnesty.

– I believe that the government of Uzbekistan should consider serious illness of Dilmurod Sayyid, old age his mother and her illness, and on the basis of sense of humanity, which they are so proud to talk about, release the journalist on amnesty. Because they know Dilmurod is innocent, and that he was illegally sentenced to a long prison term for his fight for human rights activities and against corruption. I think that the tragic death of his wife Barno and his daughter Rukhshona is a sufficient “punishment .” We can say that today Dilmurod’s relatives are also serving his sentence along with him. Uzbek authorities should listen to the pleas of Dilmurod Sayyid’s mother, who, within a short time, lost her son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter, and another son is in prison. They should allow her spend the last years of her life next to her son Dilmurod Sayyid – said Tadjibayeva.

Dilmurod Sayyid was convicted in 2009 for 12.5 years. Authorities accused him of “extortion” and “manufacturing, forging documents, stamps, seals, blanks.” During the trial, journalist categorically denied all charges.

Local and international human rights and media organization also declare that a criminal case against the journalist was fabricated, and believe that Dilmurod Sayyid was imprisoned for his professional activities. After the trial, some witnesses retracted their statements, while others said they had testified against the journalist under pressure of Uzbek security services.

Mubina SAFAROVA