Mutabar Tadjibayeva is remarkable, even among human rights defenders.

But she does not just live quietly in exile in Paris. She continues fight for her rights, lodged a complaint to the UN Human Rights Committee in 2012 and this body found on 6 October 2015 that there had been “multiple violations” of her rights, according to a press release issued by three human rights NGOs on 8 October (the Fiery Hearts Club, Redress and FIDH).  

“I hope this decision adds to the struggle against impunity in Uzbekistan and serves to put an end to the many indignities committed against human rights defenders by its repressive regime,” Tadjibayeva said in response to the  ruling.

Tadjibayeva alleged in a complaint filed with the UN in 2012 that she was tortured, gang-raped and forcibly sterilized (a practice the government denies but which has been documented by the BBC) while in custody in Uzbekistan, where she was jailed in 2005 shortly after a bout of fatal unrest in her hometown of Andijan.

President Islam Karimov’s government contested the case, arguing that Tadjibayeva’s allegations were “invented and biased,” according to the summary. Her claims have already been investigated in Uzbekistan, where they were deemed unsubstantiated, Tashkent argued.   Those arguments cut no ice with the UN Committee, which noted that “instead of providing detailed information and explanations to the Committee in refutation, the State party accused the author of having presented ‘invented and biased’ allegations.”

The UN Committee said Tadjibayeva “provides detailed account[s] of the different types of persecution that she was subjected to, and her description is supported by detailed and well-documented evidence.”   Uzbekistan “is under an obligation to provide the author with an effective remedy,” the committee concluded, including conducting “an impartial, effective and thorough investigation”, initiating criminal proceedings against those responsible, and providing “appropriate compensation.” Tashkent is also obliged “to take steps to prevent similar violations,” it said.

Tadjibayeva has seized on the verdict to refresh people’s memory about the numerous political prisoners still behind bars in Uzbekistan. “[Political prisoners] should be immediately released,” Tadjibayeva said. “I am just one of the many victims of torture in Uzbek prisons.”

Source: Uzbekistan: Tortured Activist Wins Landmark UN Ruling | EurasiaNet.org

Mutabar Tadjibayeva wins landmark case in UN Human Rights Committee against Uzbekistan