On April 30, Ravshan Mutalibov, deputy chairman of the Society of Uzbeks of Khatlon, was arrested at the airport of Krasnodar, Russia, on charges of drug smuggling. His boss Salim Shamsiddinov, chairman of the Society of Uzbeks, went missing in mid-March of this year.

Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Tajikistan, Rahmatullo Zoirov, told about activist’s arrest in Russia on his Facebook page.

Front Line Defenders has launched a new advertising campaign to highlight “Stories of Courage” a series of 6 short films on the life and work of the 6 finalists for the Front Line Defenders Award 2013. Each of these 6 finalists from Iran, Cambodia, Kenya, Uzbekistan, Colombia and Mauritania has dedicated their lives to defending the rights of others
without thinking of the risks they themselves might face.

Employees of several state organizations in Tashkent complain that their leadership is forcing them to learn English at their own expense.

Nilufar (name changed for source’s safety), who works at the Children’s Dental Clinic #2 in Tashkent, told to “Jarayon” the following:

– During a recent meeting, the chief doctor of the clinic said to all employees that we must learn English language for dentists. However, the most outrageous thing in this order is that doctors must learn the language at their own expense, as the management of the clinic is not going to provide the employees any financial assistance for learning English. Our doctors give “shares” to the chief doctor from their salary every month… Moreover, prices are rising, today it is very hard to support the family. And now we will have to spend money from our own pocket to learn English language, – says the doctor.

On April 19, 2012, Uzbek authorities released the famous writer Mamadali Makhmudov from prison. The writer, familiar to readers under the pseudonym Evril Turon, for many years leaded the list of Uzbek political prisoners.

Wife of the writer, Gulsara Makhmudova, also confirmed the news about the release of the political prisoner, which has been published by many online media covering events in Uzbekistan.

Eager to ask many questions, “Jarayon” called Mamadali Mahmudov, but the interview did not happen as the writer was having a rest at home.

International Human Rights Organizations “Fiery Hearts Club” and Committee on the Protection of Refugees

As it is known, on April 22-24 at the UN headquarters in Geneva Human Rights Council will discuss the human rights situation in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan for last four and a half years.

June 1, 2012, the UN Committee against Torture at its 48th session adopted a decision on the extradition of 29 persons to the Republic of Uzbekistan by authorities of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the General Prosecutor’s Office’s request. As is known, in its decision, the UN Committee against Torture has obliged the authorities of the Republic of Kazakhstan to secure the return of all 29 persons extradited from Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan and pay compensation.

On April 12th of this year in mass media there was news that the International Committee of the Red Cross is stopping work in prisons of Uzbekistan.

About this the Director-General of ICRC Yves Daccord has reported in his blog on Twitter.

According to him, the management of committee came to such decision because of non constructive treatment of the Uzbek authorities.

Miguel de la Lama, the Secretary of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention informed Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan “Ezgulik” that the Working Group has prepared the case of two Uzbek human rights defenders Azam Farmonov and Alisher Karomatov for consideration during the 65th session of the organization. Their case, having 44 paragraphs, collected objections and conclusions which will be included in the annual report of the UN Human Rights Committee and reviewed as appropriate.

It turns out that a refugee from Uzbekistan Shuhrat Musin, who disappeared two months ago in the capital of Kyrgyzstan where he asked asylum from UNHCR, is being kept in prison of Andijan, Uzbekistan.

On April 12, one of the relatives of Shukhrat Musin told to “Jarayon” on the phone interview that the lost Uzbek refugee was detained in the city of Andijan.

– Shukhrat’s cousin, who lives in Andijan, was jailed for 15 days. Upon his release, he contacted Shuharat’s parents, who now live in exile in America, and told them that their son was being held in the basement of the same prison. Then Shuhrat’s parents told about it to his wife Barno and her older brother Islam. However, despite the news that Shukhrat is in Andijan prison, Barno wants to stay in Bishkek and continue searching for him, – said relative of Shukhrat Musin.