Three known cases of beatings of citizens by employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in recent years once again confirm the ineffectiveness of legislation in the fight against torture.
Since the arrest on July 26 of Ilkhomboy Sadullayev in the Turtkul region of Karakalpakstan, his relatives did not see him alive. According to the journalists of the Uzbek service of Radio Svoboda, 39-year-old Ilkhomboy Sadullayev, who was taken to the hospital from the Turtkul district police stronghold in a coma, died on 11 August this year. Chamangul Hajiyev’s wife claims that her husband was absolutely healthy when he was taken to a police station after a family incident. In her opinion, Ilkhomboy was severely beaten there, as a result of which he fell into a coma. The head of the resuscitation department of the district hospital, Abdurasul Rajabboev, reported the diagnosis: the patient died from a closed craniocerebral injury. The district prosecutor’s office has begun an investigation into the death of a citizen.
Physical education teacher Shukhrat Dzhuraev from special school # 34 in Furkat district of Fergana region was accused of stealing a computer without proof on June 27. At the request of the investigator, he began to read one of the articles of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan on compensation for damage. To knock out confessions, they began to work out blows on him. Not having achieved what they were looking for, he was forced to stand on one leg with outstretched arms.
In a conversation with a journalist, Dzhuraev says that the investigators who beat him were in civilian clothes, so he does not know their titles, he could remember the name of only one of them. “Vakhit also beat me. He hit me in the neck and chest, kicked me in the legs. His blows were very strong. I was exhausted after their beatings, ”says Shukhrat Dzhuraev. There was an expert examination of injuries, but the victim was not informed of its results. Nothing is known about the conclusions of the pre-investigation check.
Our editorial office received information about the brutal beatings of a resident of the Syrdarya region Tursunali Tursunov. His fault consisted of drinking beer in his car near the house of his residence. This was reported to ACCA by his relative, who works in South Korea.
The Human Rights Alliance of Uzbekistan joined the investigation. On July 25, 2020, in Jizzak, local police officers and officers of the State Traffic Inspectorate beat Tursunali, first in the Zargarlik mahalla, and then at the police station.
They beat him on the head, body and legs, after which the bloodied Tursunali, at the request of law enforcement officers, was refused to be accepted at the Emergency Medical Center. When considering the initiated administrative case, the judge found no grounds for detention. Based on the available information, the authorities do not intend to open a criminal case of torture.
In April 2018, article 235 (Use of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment) was amended in the Criminal Code, which increased responsibility for the use of torture and other inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Changes in legislation for the use of torture entail punishment for a term of three to five years, with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions. If grievous bodily harm was inflicted or other grave consequences occurred, the punishment will be from 7 to 10 years in prison.
There is no information in the public space about who and when the sentences were imposed. Deputy Prosecutor General Svetlana Artykova cites statistics that over the past three years 757 (2019 – 208, 2018 – 352, 2017 – 197) applications and messages have been received, 33 of which have been criminalized. The reason for the trial became torture, intimidation, and harassment by law enforcement officials.
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