The ‘Fiery Hearts Club’ International Human Rights Organization requests the support of the International community to defend the victim’s family from Bukhara whose son Ilkhom Ibodov was tortured to death while being kept in detention!

Hursand Rajabova, a 65 years-old retiree from the Uzbek city of Bukhara wrote to the ‘Fiery Hearts Club’ International Human Rights Organization. She mentioned that two of her sons were subjected to acts of torture or cruel treatment in detention facilities. In September 2005 one of her sons, 44-year-old Ilkhom Ibodov, has died as a result of torture in an isolation cell. Her other son Rahim Ibodov was sentenced to eight years’ emprisonment. The perpetrators of such crimes have never been brought to justice. On the contrary, those responsible for those acts of violence are trying to hide their crimes by exerting pressure on Ilkhom Ibodov’s family members and harassing them. Ilkhom Ibodov has died in a detention place after being tortured.

After learning of her appeal and examining the documents – i.e. photos and films of the dead body of her son – attached to her complaint addressed to the authorities of Uzbekistan, the ‘Fiery Hearts Club’ Organization has no doubt that Ilkhom Ibodov precisely has died in a detention place after having been tortured.

The ‘Fiery Hearts Club’ Organization wants its initiatives to be supported. Therefore it launches an appeal aimed at requesting the authorities to perform new forensic examinations of Ilkom Ibodov’s body and the initiation of criminal proceedings against all the perpetrators.

Mutabar Tadjibayeva, the head of the ‘Fiery Hearts Club’ International Human Rights Organization

Here is Hursand Rajabova’s declaration/complaint addressed to the authorities of the Republic of Uzbekistan:

‘’Hursand Rajabova’s declaration/complaint aged 65 who lives in the Uzbek city of Bukhara

To the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov,

To the Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirzaev,

To the head of the National Security Service (SNB) of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Rustam Inayatov,

To the Prosecutor-General of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Ikhtiyar Abdullaev

To the Minister of the Internal Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Adham Ahmedbaev,

I write to you in relation to the cruel murder of my son Ilkhom Ibodov, as well as to the harassment suffered by my family members. It is a premeditated crime against my loved son, Ilkhom Ibodov. He was an entrepreneur who was faithful to his homeland. The persons responsible for his death are as follows: Azim Yunusov, the head of the Security Inspection’s Department (IBS) under the responsibility of the National Security Service (SNB) of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the Bukhara region and his associates: Bahodir, Inom, Ravshan Rajabov, Umid and Shokir Urinov who runs the police Directorate of the Bukhara region (UVD).

My two sons were repeatedly subjected to torture by different perpetrators, in particular when they were questionned. First, the perpetrators severely tortured one of my sons in the presence of his brother and then they began to torture the latter… in the presence of his brother.

On 16 August 2015 Ilkhom (born on 16 June 1972) and Rahim (born on 31 August 1968) were arrested. They were both entrepreneurs and income earners of their respective households. They have severely been tortured for a long time by the agents of the National Security Service (SNB). As a result, my son Ilkhom has died and on 13 September 2015 his deceased body was returned to our family.

My son’s body showed marks of bruises and injuries revealing the use of torture. My relatives took pictures of these atrocities and filmed them. These photos and videos have been sent to you and are here attached to my complaint addressed to you. I hope that appropriate measures and criminal sanctions will be taken against the perpetrators who committed these crimes and killed my son. However, until now no action against these perpetrators was taken under the penal code of our country. After the trial of my other son Rahim, we found more information about the death of my son Ilkhom. These perpetrators began to exercise pressure on our family, threatening us in order to hide their crimes.

My son Rahim was exposed to danger. He was told that his brother Ilkhom would be killed and that « his family members would be accused of religious extremism and would be detained ». Consequently, they were able to realize a part of their threats after having killed my son Ilkhom in a detention place and after having sentenced my other son Rahim to eight years’ imprisonment. My son Rahim is detained at the Otbazar prison of Bukhara city and was sentenced in accordance with the penal code of Uzbekistan (articles 177, 184, 189 and 243).

It finally came down to the point where my grand-daughter who is a minor was brought to a certain Bakhtiyar Egamberdiev at the police Directorate of the Bukhara region (UVD), where she was also threaten. She was told that they had evidence to suspect her and her sister of having written on the fence of a kinder garden the following: ‘We, Syrians, will kill all of you!’ ‘We have a video in relation to your action’ they added. Although my grand-daughter was in fact at school and does not know absolutely anything about this false accusation, she was forced to sign a confession in relation to the charges against her.

Despite the fact that my two sons Rahim and Ilkhom were arrested on 16 August 2015, they have been charged for prosecution after only 25 days. When my son Ilkhom was brought to the city Court, he was in a state of unconsciousness and he could not even move. Two police officers held him under his arms, brought him to the courtroom in order to force him to stand up. Despite his state of unconsciousness, the city Court of Bukhara decided to confine him to custody.

The prison staff, which is under the responsibility of the police Directorate of the Bukhara region (UVD), as well as the agents of the National Security Service (SNB), murdered my son and are now claiming that those responsible for my son’s murder are supposedly two offenders: Rustam Jumaev and Umid Inagamov. These two detainees had been tried several times and were brought from the Karaul-Bazar prison- which is under the responsibility of the police Directorate of the Bukhara region (UVD)- allegedly they had confessed that they were the real responsible for Ilkhom’s death.

Nevertheless, when we asked- during the trial held at the Court in charge with criminal cases of the Galossia district (under the responsibility of the Bukhara region)- why and for what purpose they had organized the transfer of these two detainees from the Karaul-Bazar prison to another place of detention in Bukhara (SIZO), the judge interrupted us and replied: ‘Do not ask such questions!’. During the trial at the Court, these two detainees responded they had brutally beaten Ilkhom with… a towel! However, Ilkhom’s body showed a lot of injuries and if we attentively look at the photos of his body and relate them to the answers of these two defendants, we believe, that they do not correspond to the reality.

The agents of the National Security Service (SNB) are also protecting the prison’s guards of an investigation detention place where they had severely ill-treated my son Ilkhom.

During the judicial proceedings in relation to Rahim’s case, which was held at the Bukhara city Court, his lawyers, as well as himself, tried to express their opinions and talk to the agents of the National Security Service (SNB). However, the judge Shukrat Tukhtaev did not allow them to say a single word!

During the search of my son’s house the agents of the National Security Service (SNB) and the representatives of the police Directorate of the Bukhara region (UVD) have searched for a specific document for long hours. Apparently, they were looking for a document mentioning more precisely connections between the agents of the National Security Service (SNB) and the criminal underworld. These agents feared that my son Ilkhom would provide the republican organs of the National Security Service (SNB) with compromising information.

The names of the persons who are responsible for my son’s death are as follows:

– Azim Yunusov, the head of the Bukhara region Inspection Security Department (IBS) under the responsibility of the National Security Service (SNB) of Uzbekistan

– Bahodir, Inom, Ravshan Rajabov and their associates

– Shokir Urinov, a police inspector under the jurisdiction of the Prosecutor-General of Bukhara city

Annex: To my complaint I have joined a CD containing documents, i.e. photos and videos, which show the traumas and mutilation in relation to the dead body of my son Ilkhom.

With respect and hope!

Hursand Radjabova’’