Uzbekistan: the authorities’ attempt to destroy the inhabitants’ houses ended in bloodshed
On February 14, a clash between residents of Surkhandarya region and law enforcement officials, who called to ensure order when demolishing allegedly illegally constructed houses, ended in bloodshed.
Spades, sticks and axes were used. As a result, one law enforcement officer needed hospitalization; nothing is known about the condition of the blood-stained local resident. The video from the scene shows how angry men confront people in uniform.
The incident happened after the visit of a working group of administration’s representatives, the prosecutor and the head of the police department, as well as senior officials of the regional land administration and state cadaster to Khalkobod makhalla of Altynsay district.
After this incident, the Prosecutor General’s office promptly posted the message stating that “representatives of the authorities arrived in makhalla to clarify the fact of illegal construction of houses on the land belonging to the farm, with the aim of returning the land to this farm”.
However, experts say the prosecutor’s statement is at least strange. “The realities of Uzbekistan are such that self-seizure of land is practically impossible. If it is not possible by law, then tacit agreements and “shadow” payment for services to officials are used,” said an expert from Uzbekistan. “Over the past two years, 295 officials in the country have been prosecuted for crimes related to violation of land laws, including 119 cadaster employees.”
As a local resident told ACCA, “here people don’t just build houses. They paid money to the farmer, he shared with whom it was necessary. Everyone knew about it, and now the authorities are playing the law.”
A dignified landing force of officials confirms this. They realized that they would face dissatisfaction of the population and resorted to the services of security officials for safety reasons. The buildings of six residents of makhalla will be demolished. Previously, they repeatedly received unspoken guarantees from the authorities on the inviolability of their houses. Now, the owners of the houses were required to demolish them in two days. We are not talking about court proceedings; the local administration decided to do it without legal procedures.
The authorities had to deal with the problem of developers two years ago. From April 2018 to May 1, 2019, a campaign was held to recognize property rights to residential premises of individuals that were built on an unauthorized land plot or without obtaining a permit for construction.
This month it is the second case of resistance in Surkhandarya region. With an ax in her hand and the portrait of the President Mirziyoev on her chest, on February 9, Holbibi Donaeva beat off the representatives of local authorities, who were planning to demolish buildings on her site in Saryasi region.
The geography of the lawlessness of the authorities is expanding. In the village of Iyk-ota of Tashkent region, without compensation, houses were destroyed to expand roads, and a garden suburb will soon be demolished near Navoi.
