Category Archives: Uzbekistan

“Congratulations” to Islam Karimov dedicated to his birthday

Numerous dry, unfeeling and insincere birthday greetings are sent to Islam Karimov, who celebrated his 76th birthday on 30 January 2014.

Being the oldest president of the former Soviet Union, Islam Karimov has been heading the most populous country in the Central Asia for twenty-five years. A supporter of communist principles, Karimov has concentrated unlimited power in his hands, having completely subjugated dissent and freedom of speech and having turned the country into a police state.

Ruling the country following the “one-hundred-arrested-better than-one-thousand-killed” principle, he has become one of the most brutal dictators of our time, who cannot be removed from the post by legal means. Over the past twenty years, Islam Karimov has imposed and continues imposing the global community allegedly existing threats to international security.

In Tatarstan, policemen continue arresting and torturing Muslims

To Мutabar Tadjibayeva, head of international human rights organization “Fiery Hearts Club”.

Complaint

Dear Ms.Tadjibayeva,

My name is Alida Manafova. I am from the Republic of Tatarstan, the town of Chistopol. I was given your e-mail address and said that you can help me. I am sending you a document, which describes in detail how policemen tortured my husband.

Letter to TeliaSonera

Dear Ms. Marie Ehrling,

Availing myself of this opportunity please let me express my sincere respect to you and your colleagues and wish all the best in 2014. I would be grateful if you find this letter as a continuation of our ongoing communication and dialogue on TeliaSonera’s activities in Uzbekistan and its possible implications on human rights situation in the country.

At the beginning I would like to present to you my several thoughts on the points you and your colleagues have raised in your latest responses to our previous requests for information as there seem to be some serious contradictions in your points.

Talib Yakubov: Uzbek authorities have so great hatred for Muslims that they send their killers after them to other countries

It became known that an amnesty was declared on 12 December 2013 in Uzbekistan on the occasion of the 21st anniversary of the Uzbek Constitution.

Several civil society activists were released from prisons at the end of the 2013 and the beginning of 2014, who were imprisoned based on fabricated and trumped-up charges.

However, according to local and international human rights activists, the authorities still keep thousands of people convicted on political and religious grounds in the most brutal colonies and prisons of the country.

In his interview with Jarayon, Talib Yakubov, the honorary president of the International Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan, who now resides in exile in France, speaks about the recently announced amnesty in Uzbekistan and the reasons why the government of Uzbekistan annually deprives many political prisoners of the possibility to use the right for amnesty.

Continued dialogue with the dictator

To President of the Czech Republic Milos Zeman.

Dear Mr. President,

It is 25 years since Islam Karimov has been continuously ruling Uzbekistan, having turned one of the most promising countries of Central Asia into a police state, which allows the government keeping people in fear and obedience, where there are no independent civil society organizations and freedom of speech, and where human rights are permanently violated.

The number of political prisoners per capita is highest in the post-Soviet space. Tortures and ill- treatment of prisoners regularly occur and remain unpunished.

How does visiting places of detention in Uzbekistan accord with the mission of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation?

To Mr.Thomas Kunze, regional authorized representative of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Uzbekistan/Central Asia.

Dear Mr.Thomas Kunze!

Fiery Hearts Club is an international human rights organization registered in the prefecture of Paris (France) in 2011, which deals with issues of rights and freedoms in Uzbekistan.

One of the priorities of Fiery Hearts Club is prevention of tortures and other cruel, inhuman or dignity degrading treatments and punishments in Uzbekistan.

Dilmurod Sayyid: I don’t worry about the past

Uzbekistan’s imprisoned independent journalist Dilmurod Sayid lost all hope of early release under an amnesty.

According to Obid Saidov, younger brother of Dilmurod Sayyid, he visited his brother on December 14 of last year in the colony in Karshi, where the journalist was transferred after receiving treatment in Sangorod (prison hospital UA 64 /18, located in Tashkent – “Jarayon”).

In a conversation with “Jarayon”, Obid Saidov said that his brother’s health was not in good shape.

Mutabar Tadjibayeva: I do not have to apologize as I have not made anything wrong

In early December 2013, Gulnara Karimova, the Uzbek President’s eldest daughter, gave an interview to Turkish Hurriyet newspaper, in which she accused Uzbek human rights activist Mutabar Tadjibayeva of playing a significant role in a large criminal organization. At present, Tadjibayeva resides in France.

Following this, Tadjibayeva made a statement and demanded that “Hurriyet” and Gulnara Karimova make public apologies.Otherwise, the human rights activist threatened to sue Karimova and the newspaper as soon as possible in order to protect her honor, dignity and business reputation.

However, some time later, Gulnara Karimova thanked human rights activist Tadjibayeva on Twitter for assistance to free Greek citizen Yannis Galanos, her former employee.

This act of Gulnara Karimova has generated criticism from some Uzbek human rights defenders, journalists and oppositionists against Tadjibayeva.

Rights activist Nabijon Jurabaev released from prison

75 -year-old rights activist Nabijon (Turaboy) Jurabaev, who was held in the colony number 64/34 (in Navoi city) under the Department of Corrections at the Interior Ministry of Uzbekistan, was released on December 29, 2013.

In an interview to “Jarayon”, Jurabaev said that he was released under an amnesty announced on the occasion of 22 anniversary of the Constitution of Uzbekistan.

“I am in good mood, everything is fine with my health. It turned out that I was the eldest prisoner in the colony. Both prison staff and inmates asked me with astonishment: “Father, why were you imprisoned?” It looks like I was destined to see those places too,” – said Nabijon Jurabaev in a phone conversation with “Jarayon”.

Janis Galanos released from detention

Greek citizen Janis Galanos, who was held for more than forty days at the Rehabilitation Center of the Department of Internal Affairs of Tashkent, is finally released.

As the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan informs, Galanos was deported to Greece on December 24 at 12.10 pm via a flight “Tashkent-Istanbul- Athens” according to the certificate issued by the Italian Embassy in Tashkent that allows him to return to Greece.