Acts of harassment and arbitrary arrest of several human rights defenders

URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY

UZB 003 / 1211 / OBS 139

Harassment / Arbitrary detention /

Sentencing

Uzbekistan

December 14, 2011

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Uzbekistan.

Description of the situation:

The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources of acts of harassment and arbitrary arrest of several human rights defenders, including members of the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan (HRSU) and of the human rights organisation "Ezgulik" across Uzbekistan, in a context in which they are falsely assimilated to members of the opposition.

According to the information received, on December 7, 2011, members of the opposition organised an action of mobilisation in Tashkent on the occasion of the commemoration of the 19th anniversary of the Uzbek Constitution.

On the same day, the houses of Ms. Saida Kurbanova, Chairwoman of Pahtakor district branch of HRSU, and of human rights defender Bakhtior Khamroev were surrounded by security forces. On that day, police lieutenant Kayumov Komil came five times to Ms. Kurbanova's home, although the latter had already left to Tashkent.

In the town of Karshi (Kashkadarya district), the houses of Ms. Gulshan Karaeva, representative of HRSU in Kashkadarya region, and of Mr. Nadyr Akatov, a member of HRSU, were also surrounded by security forces on December 7 and 8.

In the same district, Mr. Nurali Kulabov, another member of HRSU, was arrested by special forces on December 7 around 19.00 on the district central square where he organised, along with "Ezgulik" member Adbdumurod Norboev, a picket to protest against electricity and gas issues, and were detained at the Chirakchi district police precinct. Mr. Kubalov was not allowed to meet with his relatives, who were in addition not allowed to attend the trial that took place on December 9. Mr. Nurali Kulabov was sentenced by the Chirakchi Penal Regional Court to a 15-day administrative detention, and Mr. Abdumurod Norboev to a 10-day administrative detention.

On the same dates, several members of the newly-created branch of HRSU in Namangan province also had their houses surrounded by special forces, as had other HRSU members from Bukhara (around Andijan).

The Observatory strongly denounces these acts of harassment against the human rights defenders mentioned above, which obviously aim at hampering their human rights activities, in a context where they are falsely assimilated to members of the opposition.

Actions requested :

Please write to the Uzbek authorities, urging them to :

i. Take all necessary measures to guarantee, in all circumstances, the physical and psychological integrity of Ms. Saida Kurbanova, Mr. Bakhtior Khamroev, Ms. Gulshan Karaeva, Mr. Nadyr Akatov, Mr. Nurali Kulabov, Mr. Adbdumurod Norboev and more generally of all human rights defenders in Uzbekistan;

ii. Release Mr. Nurali Kulabov and Mr. Adbdumurod Norboev immediately and unconditionally as their detention is arbitrary;

iii. Put an end to any act of harassment - including at the judicial level - against Ms. Saida Kurbanova, Mr. Bakhtior Khamroev, Ms. Gulshan Karaeva, Mr. Nadyr Akatov, Mr. Nurali Kulabov, Mr. Adbdumurod Norboev and more generally of all human rights defenders in Uzbekistan;

iv. Comply with the provisions of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, in particular:

- its Article 1, which states that “everyone has the right, individually or collectively, to promote the protection and fulfilment of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”,

- as well as its Article 12.2, which provides that “the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually or in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration”;

v. Comply with the provisions of the Document of the Copenhagen Meeting of the 2nd Conference on the Human Dimension of the Cooperation and Security Conference in Europe (CSCE) (1990), and guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and other international human rights instruments ratified by Uzbekistan.

Addresses :

· Mr. Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov President of Uzbekistan, ul. Uzbekistanskaya 43, Rezidentsia prezidenta, 700163 Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Fax: +998 71 133 1395325. E-mail: presidents_office@press-service.uz

· Mr. Bahodir Matliubov, Minister of Internal Affairs; ul. Junus Rajabiy 1; Tashk