The new criminal case against human rights defender Ganikhon Mamatkhonov should be stopped, he should be immediately released.

By this joint statement, Fiery Hearts Club International Human Rights Organization (France) and Ezgulik Human Rights Society (Uzbekistan) express a deep concern about the fate of famous Uzbek human rights defender Ganikhon Mamatkhonov.

Sixty-one-year-old Ganikhon Mamatkhonov has fully served his sentences. He should have been released on March 10, 2014, however, as we previously reported, the human rights activist was put into solitary confinement on the eve of his release based on charges of violation of internal regulations of the colony. The authorities have not informed Mamatkhonov’s relatives yet about details of the new criminal case against him. His family members are aware neither of the progress of the criminal case nor of his whereabouts and health status.

Only on 6 March 2014, when Mamatkhonov’s children came to the Navoi prison to visit him, they were told by the head of the colony that he has been put into solitary confinement and they could not see him until the trial. Also the head of the colony told the human rights activist’s family members that Ganikhon Mamatkhonov would be moved to another colony and his sentences would be renewed. When the human rights activist’s children came back home in Fergana, they received a letter from the criminal court of the city of Navoi which said the human rights activist was taken into custody on March 4, 2014. The letter also said the following: “The criminal court of the city of Navoi has taken precaution measures by putting Ganikhon Mamatkhonov into prison.”

On March 28, 2014, Zhaloliddin Mamatkhonov, Mamatkhonov’s son, visited the GUIN office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan and asked to provide information about his father (GUIN – the Main Administration for Execution of Punishment). The only thing he was told about in the GUIN office was that a new criminal case had been filed against his father (presumably under Article 221 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan – disobeying legal requests of the administration for execution of punishment) and that his father was sent to the detention center # 3 in the city of Bukhara. The GUIN office also said that an official letter would be sent to the human rights activist’s family members after the trial, and that he would be sent to another penal colony to serve a new sentence.

It is known that the authorities initiate such repeated criminal cases against “undesirable” prisoners from among representatives of the civil society and prisoners of conscience to extend their terms of imprisonment for further isolation from the society. Investigations and trials are processed in a prompt manner; in fact, it takes a judge 15-20 minutes to hear a criminal case and declare a defendant guilty according to Article 221 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan. The Uzbek authorities often use article 221 of the Criminal Code to fabricate new criminal cases and extend imprisonments to 3-5 years.

At present, human rights activist Ganikhon Mamatkhonov does not have a lawyer. His family members do not have sufficient finance to hire a lawyer because in 2009, after Ganikhon Mamathonov was convicted, the local authorities decided to confiscate the land plot the family had been using for farming to make earnings. In addition, the authorities forced the human rights activist’s children to pay the government a fine in the amount of 4 million soms (about US $1,500) for alleged illegal use of the land.

Besides, we have deep concerns about Ganikhon Mamatkhonov’s health status. Back in 2009, before the court announced a verdict, he had had two heart attacks. He had a third heart attack after he was arrested in 2009. His family members delivered him in the colony all required medicines. However, it has been five months since his family members visited him. Since then, Ganikhon Mamathonov family members have not been allowed to bring him necessary medication.

Human rights activist Mamatkhonov has been kept 4.5 years in prison following a fabricated criminal case against him for his human rights activities. Mamatkhonov is considered a political prisoner; therefore his case requires special attention.

Instead of releasing Ganikhon Mamatkhonov, the Uzbek authorities filed a new criminal case against him on trumped up charges, and now they intend to extend his term of imprisonment up to five years. Though he has served his sentence, again the Uzbek authorities intend to isolate the brave human rights defender from the society for several years.

We are confident that this kind of scenario has been prepared for Ganikhon Mamatkhonov. Otherwise, it is hard to believe that such an experienced human rights activist like Ganikhon Mamatkhonov, who knows that the authorities apply Article 221, has knowingly disobeyed requests of the penal colony administration to be put into a one-man confinement cell just on the eve of his release.

We call the Uzbek Government to immediately notify the human rights activist’s family members and colleagues about his situation, about the new criminal case initiated against him, about the place of his detention and the state of his health. We also urge the Uzbek authorities to immediately release Ganikhon Mamatkhonov as he has fully served his sentence, which the Uzbek court ordered based on fabricated criminal charges.

We urge the international community, international institutions not to remain silent, not to remain indifferent about the fate of Ganikhon Mamatkhonov, a true human rights fighter. The Uzbek authorities should not be allowed to deal with another human rights activist by putting him behind bars for many years. Even being not guilty, he has paid in full for the crime he did not commit, and therefore he deserves immediate release.

Do not ignore the fate of human rights activist Ganikhon Mamatkhonov. We call Western diplomatic missions in Tashkent to urge their Uzbek colleagues to immediately release jailed human rights activist Ganikhon Mamatkhonov, who is seriously sick. We must not allow and tolerate that one more brave representative of the Uzbek civil society slowly dies behind bars.

Sincerely,

Mutabar Tadjibayeva, Head of “Fiery Hearts Club” International Human Rights Organization, Paris, France

Vasilya Inoyatova, Chairperson of “Ezgulik” Human Rights Society, Uzbekistan

Paris, Tashkent

April 2, 2014