Category Archives: Human Rights
Human rights activist Vadim Kuramshin went on a hunger strike in prison
On June 2, Kazakh human rights activist Vadim Kuramshin, convicted to 12 years of imprisonment, declared an unlimited hunger strike demanding that the prison administration should stop putting pressure on him.
Ekaterina Kuramshina, the spouse of imprisoned human rights defender Vadim Kuramshinfrom Kazakhstan, told Jarayon that her husband was subjected to beatings and harassmentduring the last few weeks organized by the administration of prison EC 164/, located in Northern Kazakhstan province.
Uzbek military man Sanzhar Ismailov isolated in solitary confinement
Uzbek authorities sent their remarksin regard to the case of convicted military man Sanzhar Ismailov to the UN Committee on Human Rights,and stated that he was convicted fairly.
Natalia Bondar, Sanzhar Ismailov’sspouse, told “Jarayon” that recently her husband, sentenced to long prison terms on charges of espionage, was isolated in solitary confinement.
“My husband was put into solitary confinement “for a reason”. He took someone’s phone to call home, and someone reported about that, and the telephone was found during a search. He said that the phone was his not to set up his fellow, and was punished by isolation in solitary confinement for one month”, said Natalia Bondar.
Mutabar Tadjibayeva: Sanzhar Ismailov’s case
On the eve of the 9thanniversary of the May 2005 events in Andizhan in Uzbekistan, we decided to remind the UN Committee on Human Rights about the fate of the Uzbek military people convicted that time on fabricated criminal charges of espionage. One of the high-profile cases is of Sanzhar Ismailov’s, the first deputy chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan (GRU), who headed the intelligence and information and interaction sectionof the Main Intelligence Directorate. The public is almost not aware of the criminal case as it was framed and is kept in secrecy.
We appeal to politicians not to sit next to Putin!
On the eve of celebrations to mark the 70thanniversary of the Normandy landings, “Fiery Hearts Club” International Human Rights Organizationappeal to French and Western politicians invited to the ceremony to support the initiative of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and not to sit next to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the honorable podium for the organizers and guests.
We see the following solid arguments that have pushed us to make this appeal.
Uzbekistan – Prolonged detention of human rights defender Mr Ganihon Mamathanov with reduced sentence
On 15 May 2014, in the appeal hearing, the Criminal Court of the Navoi region reduced a recently imposed sentence against human rights defender MrGanihon Mamathanovby three months to two years, three months and six days.
The human rights defender has been in prison since October 2009 as a result of previous convictions, and he was due to be released in March 2014. The new sentence, originally handed down on 29 March 2014, is in relation to charges of disobedience to prison authorities.
Uzbek human rights Ganikhon Mamatkhonov will stay in prison for two and a half years more
Navoi Regional Criminal Court considered the appeal in regard of human rights activist Ganikhon Mamathonov on May 15, 2014, and changed the verdict of the first instance court.
Jarayon was informed about this from a source in Uzbekistan.
Judge N.Mamirov from Navoi City Criminal Courtchaireda trial in regard of human rights defender Ganikhon Mamathonov on March 29, 2014 right in penal institutions №64/47 located in Kyzyltepa district, Navoi province, and sentenced the human rights activist to two years,six months and six days in jail.
To Mr.Guy Ryder, Director-General of the International Labour Organization
ILO denies systematic use of forced child labor in the cotton harvest in Uzbekistan: a diplomatic ploy to gain concessions from the government or an attempt to deny the commonly known problem?
International Labour Organization (ILO) voiced its opinion in early April 2014 on the monitoring results on child labor in cotton harvest in Uzbekistan “… the ILO did not reveal use of forced child labor on a systematic basis in the cotton harvest in the country.” This conclusion was announced during a special seminar with a high “international” status organized by the Uzbek authorities in Tashkent for this purpose.
Uzbekistan: Ongoing arbitrary detention of and new sentence against Mr.Ganikhon Mamatkhanov
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Uzbekistan.
Description of the situation:
The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the ongoing arbitrary detention of and a new sentence of three years in a penal colony against Mr. Ganikhon Mamatkhanov, regional representative of the International Society for Protection of Human Rights in the Ferghana region of Uzbekistan.
Narzullo Okhunzhonov: Alone with conscience
There are two ways to fight defects in the society: the first one is to struggle against corrupt officials and the second one is to struggle against the dictatorship, which has been the reason for corruption to root.
I must admit that I was not courageous to openly protest against the existing regime in the country. I fought against corruption. Because I believed that the government is not to blame for these crimes. I blamed only medium and low level officials, who abuse confidence of the government and the nation. But after I became a “criminal” in the course of my struggle against corrupt officials, I deeply realized the whole harmfulness of this regime.
Prominent human rights activist Elena Ryabinina passed away (updated+audio)
Elena Ryabinina, aged 60, the manager of Right to Asylum Program of the Human Rights Institute and a prominent human rights activist, passed away on Sunday morning in Moscow.
Recently Elena Ryabinina had cancer, but nevertheless, she worked hard and a lot. She did not cry, she did not complain, and she did not ask for anything…
Elena Ryabinina was a strong woman.
She often made comments about Central Asian refugees for Jarayon’s website. Elena gave her last interview for our website on March 30 2014, and the next day she was hospitalized.
