Threats and acts of harassment against Mr. Kamil Ashurov

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

New information:

The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the threats and acts of harassment against Mr. Kamil Ashurov, a journalist and an active human rights defender in Samarkand. Among others, Mr. Ashurov provides free legal consultation to victims of human rights violations, legal defence in court, and monitoring and reporting upon abuses.

According to the information received, on May 18, 2007, Mr. Kamil Ashurov was insulted and beaten in the area of “Rukh obod” mosque of Samarkand, soon after Friday’s prayers. Around 12.20 p.m, before Friday prayers had started, an old resident of “Allofi” Makhalla of Samarkand gathered some people to inform them that Mr. Kamil was coming to the mosque to pray and tried to encourage them to beat Mr. Kamil, so as to discourage him form visiting the mosque in the future, because “he dared to criticize the President”. The man also said that the Uzbek Security Services (SNB) supported this action. However, the crowd asked the old man to leave the place.

Around 1.00 p.m., Mr. Kamil Ashurov arrived at the mosque where he was met by his elder brother, Mr. Yuldash Ashurov, who informed him of the situation and of the fact that many SNB people had gathered around the mosque.

After the prayer, Mr. Ashurov left the mosque and waited for his brother outside. Because the old resident of “Allofi” Makhalla of Samarkand had failed to find supporters, he decided to act alone and, grabbing Mr. Ashurov’s arm, asked him to go to the entrance of the mosque. The old man took a twenty-year-old picture of Mr. Ashurov out of his pocket and asked if it was him. When Mr. Ashurov confirmed the fact, the man started insulting him and told him that he did not have any right to criticise the President. He also started hitting Mr. Ashurov in his face in front of many mosque visitors. When Mr. Ashurov asked why he was doing this, the old man hysterically said, “you are a snake, a Scorpio and we should kill you…”.

Many people who witnessed this incident asked the old man why he was beating a person coming to pray. The old man said: “What prayers? He is not a believer. If you find a snake or a Scorpio in your house, you will kill it. So is he like a snake and we need to kill him”. He also added that he had been visited by some SNB members who had told him that Mr. Ashurov was not a Muslim but a converted Christian, and that he therefore had to be exiled from the mosque. He added that the SNB gave him Mr. Ashurov’s picture and an article where he allegedly had criticised the President.

Furthermore, the Imam-Khatib and his Deputy approached Mr. Kamil Ashurov to order him not to come to the mosque anymore. Mr. Ashurov told them that he was not offended by the old man or insulted by his actions, as he understood who was actually behind them. But the old man came again close to Mr. Ashurov, told him that he should not come to this mosque and hit him once again.

Moreover, dozen of SNB people were around the place and filmed the incident from their cars.

The Observatory believes that this assault might be linked to Mr. Kamil Ashurov’s work of in defence of human rights and urges the government to take all the necessary measures to ensure his physical and psychological integrity as well as of all human rights defenders in the country.

Actions required:

Please write to the Uzbek authorities urging them to:

1. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Kamil Ashurov;
2. Conduct a fair, impartial and independent inquiry into the events above-mentioned, in order to bring the authors to justice and pronounce sentences proportional to the gravity of their crimes;
3. Put an end to all acts of harassment and threats against Mr. Kamil Ashurov as well as against all human rights defenders in the country;
4. Conform with the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, especially its article 1, which states that “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels” and article 12.2, which states that “the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and 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”;
5. Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards and international instruments ratified by Uzbekistan.

Addresses:

• President of Uzbekistan, Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov, ul. Uzbekistanskaya 43, Rezidentsia prezidenta, 700163 Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan, Fax: +998 71 133 1395325, E-mail: presidents_office@press-service.uz
• Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Elyor Majidovich Ganiev, Respublika Uzbekistan; 700029 g. Tashkent; pl. Mustakillik, 5; Ministerstvo inostrannykh del RU, S.S., Uzbekistan, Fax: + 998 71 139 15 17, E-mail: rnews@mfa.uz
• Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, Sayora Rashidova, ul. Xalqlar Dostligi 1, 700035 Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan, Fax: +998 71 139 85 55, E-mail: office@ombudsman.gov.uz
• Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Ubaydulla Mingbaev, Respublika Uzbekistan; 700183 g. Tashkent; ul. Abdulla Kodiri, 1; Verkhovny Sud Respubliki Uzbekistan, Fax: + 998 71 144-62-93
• General Prosecutor of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Rashidjon Hamidovich Kodirov, ul. Gulyamova 66, 700047 Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan, Fax: +998 71 133 39 17, E-mail: prokuratura@lawyer.com
• National Centre for Human Rights, Senator Akmal Saidov Natsionalny tsentr po pravam cheloveka, 5/3, Mustakillik Maidoni, g. Tashkent, Respublika Uzbekistan. 700029, Fax: + 998 71 139 13 56 / 45 16, E-mail: office@nchr.uz
• Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the United Nations in Geneva, PO Box 1853, 1215 Geneva 15, Switzerland, Fax: +4122 799 43 02, E-mail: uzbekistan@bluewin.ch

Please also write to the diplomatic representations of Uzbekistan in your respective countries.

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Geneva - Paris, May 29, 2007

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.

The Observatory, a FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.

The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.

To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:
Email : Appeals@fidh-omct.org
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