Category Archives: JARAYON

Fearing growing religiosity of the population, the Uzbek security services have started controlling private gatherings of citizens

Many Muslims of Uzbekistan have been prosecuted after attending private gatherings of their friends.

I would like to begin our story with the recent case of Uzbek refugee Mirsobir Khamidkariev, who was kidnapped in Moscow in early June 2014. I would remind that this person asked for asylum in Russia as since 2011 the Uzbek Government had internationally searched for him.

Mutabar Tadjibayeva: We can stop political repressions in Uzbekistan

Actions by Christians against Torture, a human rights organization based in France, conducted a prize presentation ceremony on 15 November 2014 in Paris to give its prestigious award to Mutabar Tadjibayeva, the head of “Fiery Hearts Club” International Human Rights Organization,for human rights protection achievements.

On the eve of this event, “Jarayon” interviewed the human rights activist, who spoke about the award she received from Christians against Torture, positive changes and challengers in the field of human rights in Uzbekistan in 2014 as well as about her plans for the future.

Independent journalist Dilmurod Sayid was told about his mother’s death a month after her decease

Obidzhon Saidov told Jarayon that he visited his elder brother Dilmurod Sayidin the prison in Karshi on 8 November 2014.

“On 8-9 November I was visiting my brother in the prison in Karshi. We did not have time to sleep as we talked until dawn. He looked so-so, sometimes he coughed. He said he had a little cold. He is depressed. My brother asked me to thank everybody, who struggle for his release. He expressed his greatest gratitude to human rights activist Mutabar Tadjibayeva.

Dilmurod told me: ‘If, God willing, I am freed from the prison, first of all I’ll go to the cemetery to pay honor in the memory of my mother, wife and daughter. After that, my first duty will be to visit this precious woman,’” said Obidzhon Saidov.

Mirsobir Khamidkariev asserted Russian secret services were involved into his abduction

He said that to his lawyer Illarion Vasiliyev in Tashkent courtroom.

Our website reported in late October that the Uzbek court agreed to allow Russian lawyer Illarion Vasiliyev to access Mirsobir Khamidkariev’s case. In early November, the journalists of our website received a letter from lawyer Vasiliyev in which he reported about his arrival in Tashkent to attend Mirsobir Khamidkariev’s case.

“I saw Mirsobir, the judge allowed us to communicated in the courtroom. The judge’s attitude to Mirsobir is positive. The process, according to his lawyer, proceeds softly. It is not a high-profile case here. The charge against him is based on article 216 (organizing illegal public associations and religious organizations) and articles 244-2 (creation, management and participation in religious extremist, separatist, fundamentalist or other banned organizations) of the Uzbek Criminal Code. The crime according to article 244-2 is a serious one, it should be removed. Nobody, including his relatives, is aware of things Mirsobir told me about in the courtroom,” said lawyer Illarion Vasiliyev.

France-Uzbekistan: Secret meeting between French and Uzbek Foreign Affairs ministers

Today and tomorrow, the Uzbek Minister of Foreign Affairs should meet discreetly Laurent Fabius, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well French Senate and National Assembly members. 

No information has been released on the official agenda of the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, or on the other French political institutions’. ACAT and the Association for Human Rights in Central Asia found out about this meeting only on the official agenda of the Uzbek Ministry. It reveals that an Uzbek delegation led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulaziz Kamilov should meet his French counterpart, some members of the Senate and the National Assembly, as well as business representatives. Only International Medef, the French Business Confederation, announced this meeting.

Photo portraits and documents of human rights activist Mutabar Tadjibayeva displayed in New York photo exhibition

On 3 November, a photo exposition was launched in New York, which displays portraits and documents of Mutabar Tadjibayeva, a prominent Uzbek human rights defender and the head of Fiery Hearts Club International Human Rights Organization.

The photo exposition titled “Moving Walls/Watching You, Watching Me” shows works of 10 photographers, who specialize on human rights issues.

Portraits of Uzbek human rights defender Mutabar Tadjibayeva were made by Swiss photographer Marie Bastashevski, who also cooperates with funds providing Internet security consulting.

Russia: Stop Mass Arrests of Migrants

Paris, 31 October 2014 – Between 23 October and 2 November 2014 the authorities of Moscow are implementing “Operation Migrant 2014″, aimed at cracking down on “illegal” migration.

7000 migrants were arrested in the first four days during mass raids in which police have used violence. FIDH and ADC « Memorial » call on the Russian authorities to immediately suspend the operation and instead to explore measures to enable migrants to regularise their situations and to work in Russia legally.

The Committee for liberation of Vadim Kuramshin is concerned about his transfer to another colony

The Committee for liberation of Vadim Kuramshin fears that the human rights defender may be tortured and abused if transferred to another colony.

On 30 October 2014, the Committee reported about an intention to transfer the Kazakh human rights activist to another colony. According to the official sources, ES 164/4 Colony (informally called “Zhaman-Sopka” – note by “Jarayon”) located in Northern Kazakhstan region is going to be liquidated.

However, his colleagues and relativeshave been worried and concerned with the given news.

In Russia, an Uzbek migrant fell victim to ‘werewolves in uniforms’ [corrupt law enforcement officers]

“Fiery Hearts Club” International Human Rights Organization isconcerned about the situation of Uzbekistan citizen Abdullazhon Gafurov in the Russian Federation.

Currently, 40-year-old Abdullazhon Gafurovfrom Ferghana province of Uzbekistan is kept in the Interior Department of Volokolamsk district, Moscow province. He isaccused of contract killing.

“According to Russian investigators, Abdullazhon Gafurov contracted another ethnic Uzbek to kill a third one. The killer allegedly executed the contract and killed the victim, striking his head with a bottle. They found dead body and threw the murder on Gafurov,” Russian lawyerIllarion Vasiliyev told Jarayon, who had met with the Uzbek migrant in the detention facility.

The Uzbek court agreed to allow Russian lawyer to access the case of Mirsobir Khamidkariev

On 21 October, Illarion Vasiliyev, Russian lawyer of Uzbek refugee Mirsobir Khamidkariev, who was kidnapped this summer in Moscow, told “Jarayon”that the Uzbek court agreed to allow him to access Mirsobir Khamidkariev’s case.

“The judge has agreed to allow me to access Khamidkariev’s case. I’m going to fly to Tashkent in the near future to participate in the court sessions,” said lawyer Vasiliyev.