Uzbekistan: authorities blocked activists before elections

Before the presidential elections on October 24, the authorities carried out several operations to block the activities of citizens who critically assess the rights and freedoms in the country.

Karakalpak activists reported on the arrest of a colleague on October 18. In Nukus, Omirbek Kurbanov was taken from his house to the Municipal Internal Affairs Department, before that he was beaten in front of his relatives. Human rights activist Biybikhan Berdimuratova from the Kungrad region was intimidated by the authorities, and her children were terminated from their jobs.

According to the foreign information center Shyrak, representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs forced five residents of the Khojeli region in front of a video camera to ask forgiveness from the president of the country for their opposition activities. The brothers of blogger Abai Matekov also made a video message in the Chimbay region, urging him to return to the country and remove the channel on the social network.

Earlier, ACCA informed about provocations against human rights defenders. Human rights activist Tatyana Dovlatova told the editorial board about the provocative detention of Klara Sakharova. In recent months, she has actively fought for the rights of residents protesting against the demolition of their homes, and retribution for the sudden death of her brother.

On October 8, under a plausible pretext, Klara Sakharova was summoned to the khokimiyat of the Bektemir district of Tashkent. Then she managed to report that she was detained by law enforcement officers and she was accused under two articles of the law, as an employee of the company, providing maintenance of the territory.

The independent edition Asiaterra learned that the term of arrest of 70-year-old Karomat Ashirova from Angren (Tashkent region), who was illegally detained at the request of the regional prosecutor Salom Samadov, was extended for another 2 months (until November 21 – up to 5 months in total).

In a July publication, ACCA described how the Ministry of the Interior and the Prosecutor General’s Office for 12 days did not comment on the detention of an elderly woman. On June 21, at least 40 armed special forces officers took part in a military operation against a 70-year-old activist and her young grandchildren. All her alleged guilt lies in defending the rights of citizens in the face of numerous violations of the law. She is the author of numerous letters to the President about the arbitrariness of the local authorities.

Sevara Kholmatova, daughter of Karomat Ashirova, said that 45-year-old Zukhra Abdurakhmanova, who lives next door, ended up in a pre-trial detention center with her mother.

It is noteworthy that shortly before the arrest of two socially active women, the regional prosecutor’s office, following Karomat Ashirova’s complaint, opened a criminal case against “unidentified persons”, although she named specific leaders who, in her opinion, were involved in corrupt actions. Ashirova backed up her statements with relevant documents, which were seized from her house during her arrest. Including reports on a potentially dangerous emergency at the Angren reservoir, which the human rights activist did not manage to make public. 2 weeks before her arrest, she brought the mayor Shukurullo Makhmudov to the site of a possible emergency so that he could personally verify that the danger of a dam breakthrough due to a crack that appeared was not fiction.

According to Asiaterra journalists, a discrediting campaign was organized against women. According to eyewitnesses, in Angren there were even posters in the Uzbek language, in which, on behalf of the Prosecutor’s Office of the townspeople, they warned about the “dangerous criminal swindler” Karomat Ashirova and her equally dangerous “accomplice” Zukhra Abdurakhmanova (with pictures). It said to immediately contact the prosecutor’s office and the Central Internal Affairs Directorate if there are victims of fraudulent actions as a result of the “group conspiracy” of these persons. At the same time, it was reminded that “the confidentiality of informants will be preserved.”

Both social activists are now charged with two more criminal articles – 168th, part 3, item “b” (Fraud) and 228th, part 2, item “b” (Forgery). At the same time, for all three months of imprisonment, investigative actions were carried out only once as a distraction. “None of the charges brought against my mother have been confirmed over these months. The investigation does not even have expert data and protocols for the interrogation of witnesses. There is only one answer to all our questions – we didn’t have time, ”says Sevara Kholmatova.

According to the court ruling of September 15, 2021, held under the leadership of Judge Zh. Kuldashev, the defendant was charged with another criminal article. Namely, article number 244, part 3 – Illegal production, storage, import, or distribution of religious materials.

All officials accused of corruption by Karomat Ashirova continue to hold their posts. In addition, the Angren mayor Makhmudov was on the list of hundreds of state officials awarded in honor of the 30th anniversary of the country’s independence. The President awarded him the medal For Selfless Labor.