On June 17, volunteers of the initiative group “Open Line” held a protest outside the office of the authorized Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan on human rights, Ulugbek Muhammadiev. They expressed no confidence in the Ombudsman and demanded that he resign.
The activists unrolled posters with the words “If you can’t work – leave!”, “The chair is not the throne”, “People in prisons are victims of torture and judges”, etc. As a rule, laconic answers are received to numerous complaints about torture and violations of the rights of prisoners from him that the facts have not been confirmed.
Participant of the rally, Viktor Kucherov, for almost three months of quarantine, was not able to contact his son, who is serving the term at the penal colony No.17 in Bukhara. He wrote 35 letters to his son. Recently, he found out that his letters didn’t reach the prisoner. After repeated protests and appeals to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Prosecutor’s office and the Ombudsman, the colony administration nevertheless gave the letters to the prisoner and gave only 20 minutes to read them. Then they were torn and thrown into a bucket. Victor calls this colony “Zhaslyk-2” for bullying prisoners.
The husband of activist Gulbahor Karimbekova got into the punishment cell three times only during the quarantine period because of COVID-19. In the colonies, where he was sitting, Sanjarbek Islamov helped prisoners to write complaints: Now, he tries to defend the truth in his criminal case. He has already won three trials, and for the fourth time, he was convicted on falsified evidence.
The son of another participant Dilorom Juraeva was tortured in colony No.6 in Papsky district of Namangan region. For complaints of torture, a disabled person was quarantined. The Ombudsman didn’t differ in respect to another tragedy. In early January 2020, the prisoner Khozhiakbar Ishanhodzhaev died in Kashkadarya region. The cause of death was the consequences of self-arson in the colony No.2. He was pushed to a fatal step by lengthy persecution by the deputy head of the colony, Akmal Ochilov, who was engaged in extortion, constantly mocking and humiliating him. At first, they tried to save the life of Ishankhodjaev in the city hospital of Karshi, then he was taken by train to the prison hospital of Tashkent – Sangorod, where he died. What the Ombudsman has done in this case is unknown. ACCA constantly returns to the topic of violence and torture of prisoners in its publications, receiving in response the angry statements of the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The Ombudsman doesn’t respond to threats against activists. Head of the colony No.7, Batyr Yakubdzhanov, specifically before the prisoners, shouts that he will rape women human rights defenders in a perverted form and will do the same with them if they complain. The Ombudsman was also silent when the law enforcement officers reacted to the two pickets of human rights groups by force.
According to protesters, prisoners are forced to denounce each other, refuse previously written complaints, and refute ACCA publications. During the visit of the Ombudsman’s representatives to the colony, prisoners are afraid to make complaints in the presence of regime officers.
Earlier, ACCA responded to the message of the Main Directorate for the Execution of Sentences under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The press service of the Department tried to refute the publication of the portal “Bullying and torture continue in the colonies of Uzbekistan”. Journalists in uniform didn’t forget to mention the January material “Uzbekistan: systematic bullying forced prisoners to commit suicide”. ACCA is aware that the Main Directorate for the Execution of Sentences is aware of the sources of disseminating information. They know about the real situation in prisons and intend to take some measures to stop the leak of information.
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