“We support US senators, who recently stood up for defense and release of five Uzbek political prisoners. However, we decided once again to publish a list of the people, who have been kept in prisons of Uzbekistanfor more than 21 years. This list includes new names of political prisoners. Each of them deserves to be considered a political prisoner. I believe it is necessary to mention their names during talks of Western politicians with the Uzbek authorities about the fates of the political prisoners,” Tadjibayeva told “Jarayon”.
I would remind that on 24 November 2014, eight US senators appealed to Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov to release five political prisoners from prison of –Agzam Turgunov, Dilmurod Sayid, Solidzhon Abdurakhmanov, Mukhammad Bekzhan and Bobomurod Razzokov.
In their appeal, the US senators said that the release of these prisoners would help to strengthen relations between Uzbekistan and the United States.
Previously, many international human rights organizations and the mass media had published a list of Uzbek political prisoners, which mentioned only 31 political prisoners.
Mutabar Tadjibayeva said that the names of some political prisoners were not included in the given list, and some names were added later.
“Some lists do not mention sons of Margilan human rights activist Akhmadzhon Madmarov – Abdullah Madmarov imprisoned in 1999 and Khabibullo Madmarov jailed in 2000as well as human rights activist Abdulakhat Madmarov’s nephew, who has been kept in prison since 1999. The list of the political prisoners also mentions Erkin Musaev, a former colonel from the Uzbekistan Defence Ministry, who was convicted in 2006, but the given list does not mention colonel Sanzhar Ismailov, another former employee of the Uzbekistan Defence Ministry, who was sentenced to twenty years in prison after the Andizhan tragedywhen he accused actions of the Uzbek authorities during these events.
We enlarged our list by adding the names of Toshtemir Nurmatov, Sanzhar Ismailov, sons of Akhmadzhon Madmarov and son of Uzbek human rights activist Tatyana Dovlatova. In addition, no one mentions Mukhammadali Shakhobiddinov sentenced to twelve years in prison after he was accused of leading the religious organization “Nurchilar”, which allegedly comprised journalists Shavkat Ismailov and Bakhram Ibragimov,” said the Uzbek human rights activist.
The new list of the political prisoners of Uzbekistan released by human rights activist Mutabar Tadjibayeva mentions one more person – Saidkamol Abutov, the younger brother of Mukhammadsalikh Abutov, aformer imam of the mosque of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, a part of Uzbekistan, who now lives in exile in Sweden.
Mukhammadsalikh Abutov told “Jarayon”that because of his religious and political activities, his younger brother was sentenced to many years in prison.
“I consider my younger brother Saidkamol Abutov to fall a victim of political repression of Karimov’s regime. He was an ordinary believer, performed namaz. After the authorities accused me of wahhabism, my brother was taken under control. After the explosions in Tashkent in 1999, lots of people were arrested, including my brother and three or four other believers, who were charged and imprisoned according to Article 159 (anti-constitutional attempts – Jarayon’s note) for thirteen years. Now my brother is serving his sentence in a high securitypenal colony. In 2012, the Uzbek authorities released the film “Vatangadolar” (wanderers, or people who have betrayed their homeland and wander in foreign lands –Jarayon’s note) and forced my brother to speak against me,” said Mukhammadsalikh Abutov.
You can watch the film “Vatangadolar” following the link www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ7Lew98xNo
Human rights activists have repeatedly asserted that the position of Uzbek political prisoners remains difficult – they are often subjected to torture and ill-treatment. At the same time, they urged the authorities to ensure that political prisoners have access to qualified health as most of them have fallen ill with serious diseases while in prisons.
However, the Uzbek authorities prefer to ignore such calls made by human rights organizations and continue keeping political prisoners under tough terms.
It should be noted that the Uzbek authorities allow representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit prisons in the country, but do not allow them to conduct private interviews with political prisoners.
For this reason, in 2013 the Red Cross announced that its staff stopped making visits to prisons of Uzbekistan due to the unconstructive attitude of the authorities.
Timur RASULOV
The list of political prisoners in Uzbekistan released by human rights activist Mutabar Tadjibayeva:
1. Samandar Kukanov, in jail since 1993
2. Toshtemir Nurmatov (Mukhammadrazhab Makhsumkori) the imam of the historic mosque “Havokand” in Kokand, in jail since 1994, www.youtube.com/watch?v=sULxskUmTWs
3. Murod Zhuraev, in jail since 18 September 1994
4. Rustam Usmanov, in jail since February 1998
5. AkramYuldashev, in jail since 17 February 1999
6. Mukhammad Bekzhanov, in jail since 15 March 1999
7. Yusubboy Ruzimurodov, in jail since 15 March 1999
8. Abdullakh Madmarov, in jail since 1999 (a son of human rights activist Akhmadzhon Madmarov)
9. Abdulakhat Madmarov, in jail since 1999 (a nephew of the human rights activist Akhmadzhon Madmarov)
10. Khabibullo Madmarov, in jail since 2000 (son of human rights activist Akhmadzhon Madmarov)
11. Giyrat Mikhliboyev, in jail since 25 July 2002
12. Sanzhar Ismailov, in jail since 2 July 2005
13. NasimIsakov, in jail since 27 October 2005
14. Azam Farmonov, in jail since 29 April 2006
15. Isroilzhon Kholdorov, in jail since 2005
16. Rukhiddin Fakhriddinov, in jail since 24 November 2005
17. Erkin Musaev, in jail since 31 January 2006
18. Yuldash Rasulov, in jail since April 2007
19. Zafar Rakhimov, in jail since April 2007
20. Solizhon Abdurakhmonov, in jail since 7 June 2008
21. Saidkamol Abutov, in jail since June 2008 (brother of religious figure Mukhammadsolikh Abutov)
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