Uzbekistan
23.05.01
Urgent Interventions
Uzbekistan: harassment, threats and arbitrary arrests in Samarkand
Case UZB 230501
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Uzbekistan.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Kyrgyz Committee for Human Rights (KCHR), a member of the OMCT network, of harassment, threats and arbitrary arrests in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
According to the information received, members of the family of Jahangir Mamatov, an Uzbeki dissident who now lives in the US, are reportedly being threatened and harrassed by members of the militia forces and have been arbitrarily arrested, detained and possibly subjected to ill-treatment in the General Home Affairs Direction's facilities in Samarkand. Mr. Mamatov is the former Secretary of the Uzbeki Parliament's "Erk" party and is currently working for the Voice of America radio station in the US.
According to the information received, on May 17th 2001, 15 members of the militia arrived in eight cars at the home of 33 year-old Nodira Murtazaeva, Mr. Mamatov's sister. They gave her daughter Sarvigul a bag and told her to give it to her mother. They then began searching her house, and found drugs in the bag that they had given her. Nodira and Sarvigul, along with Nodira's 3-month old child, were arrested and taken to the General Home Affairs Direction's facilities in Samarkand. Sarvigul was released some time later, but Nodira is reportedly still being detained there, and it is thought that she may be being subjected to ill-treatment. Nodira suffers from asthma and cardiac problems.
According to the reports, another similar search was being carried out by members of the militia at the house of 48 year-old Mehrinisio Murtzaeva, Mr. Mamatov's other sister, which also resulted in her been arrested and subsequently detained at the General Home Affairs Direction's facilities. Mehrinisio also reportedly suffers from heart-related problems. Members from the Karakalpakistan Rights Defense Department were also reportedly part of the militia groups.
OMCT is gravely concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Mamatov's relatives, most notably his sisters and their children, and believes that these events are motivated by a desire to punish Mr. Mamatov, via his family, for his involvement in the Voice of America radio broadcasts. In particular, OMCT is worried about the 3-month old baby’s physical and psychological integrity, given that Nodira’s detention and possible ill-treatment may impair her ability to care for her child.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Uzbekistan urging them to:
1. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Nodira and Mehrinisio Murtazaeva and their children;
2. order their immediate release in the absence of valid legal charges or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
3. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these arrests in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
4. put an immediate end to the persecution and harassment of all the members of Mr. Mamatov’s family;
5. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards, especially the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Addresses
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Islam Abduganievich KARIMOV, Respublika Uzbekistan, 700000 g. Tashkent, pr. Uzbekistansky, Rezidentsia Prezidenta, Prezidentu Respubliki Uzbekistan, KARIMOVU I.A. Fax: ( 998 71) 139 53 15
Minister of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Siradzhuddin MIRSAFAYEV, Respublika Uzbekistan, 700047 g. Tashkent. ul. Sayilgokh, 5 Ministerstvo yustitsii Respubliki Uzbekistan Ministru MIRSAFAYEVU S. Fax: (998 71) 133 51 76
Oliy Majlis Commissioner for Human Rights, Sayora RASHIDOVA (Ms), Respublika Uzbekistan, 700008 g. Tashkent, pl. Mustakillik, 2 Oliy Majlis Respubliki Uzbekistan, Upolnomochennoy po pravam, heloveka pri Oliy Majlis, RASHIDOVOY S. Fax: (998 71) 139 85 55
Please also write to the embassies of Uzbekistan in your respective country.
Geneva, May 23, 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Uzbekistan.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Kyrgyz Committee for Human Rights (KCHR), a member of the OMCT network, of harassment, threats and arbitrary arrests in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
According to the information received, members of the family of Jahangir Mamatov, an Uzbeki dissident who now lives in the US, are reportedly being threatened and harrassed by members of the militia forces and have been arbitrarily arrested, detained and possibly subjected to ill-treatment in the General Home Affairs Direction's facilities in Samarkand. Mr. Mamatov is the former Secretary of the Uzbeki Parliament's "Erk" party and is currently working for the Voice of America radio station in the US.
According to the information received, on May 17th 2001, 15 members of the militia arrived in eight cars at the home of 33 year-old Nodira Murtazaeva, Mr. Mamatov's sister. They gave her daughter Sarvigul a bag and told her to give it to her mother. They then began searching her house, and found drugs in the bag that they had given her. Nodira and Sarvigul, along with Nodira's 3-month old child, were arrested and taken to the General Home Affairs Direction's facilities in Samarkand. Sarvigul was released some time later, but Nodira is reportedly still being detained there, and it is thought that she may be being subjected to ill-treatment. Nodira suffers from asthma and cardiac problems.
According to the reports, another similar search was being carried out by members of the militia at the house of 48 year-old Mehrinisio Murtzaeva, Mr. Mamatov's other sister, which also resulted in her been arrested and subsequently detained at the General Home Affairs Direction's facilities. Mehrinisio also reportedly suffers from heart-related problems. Members from the Karakalpakistan Rights Defense Department were also reportedly part of the militia groups.
OMCT is gravely concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Mamatov's relatives, most notably his sisters and their children, and believes that these events are motivated by a desire to punish Mr. Mamatov, via his family, for his involvement in the Voice of America radio broadcasts. In particular, OMCT is worried about the 3-month old baby’s physical and psychological integrity, given that Nodira’s detention and possible ill-treatment may impair her ability to care for her child.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Uzbekistan urging them to:
1. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Nodira and Mehrinisio Murtazaeva and their children;
2. order their immediate release in the absence of valid legal charges or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
3. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these arrests in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
4. put an immediate end to the persecution and harassment of all the members of Mr. Mamatov’s family;
5. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards, especially the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Addresses
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Islam Abduganievich KARIMOV, Respublika Uzbekistan, 700000 g. Tashkent, pr. Uzbekistansky, Rezidentsia Prezidenta, Prezidentu Respubliki Uzbekistan, KARIMOVU I.A. Fax: ( 998 71) 139 53 15
Minister of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Siradzhuddin MIRSAFAYEV, Respublika Uzbekistan, 700047 g. Tashkent. ul. Sayilgokh, 5 Ministerstvo yustitsii Respubliki Uzbekistan Ministru MIRSAFAYEVU S. Fax: (998 71) 133 51 76
Oliy Majlis Commissioner for Human Rights, Sayora RASHIDOVA (Ms), Respublika Uzbekistan, 700008 g. Tashkent, pl. Mustakillik, 2 Oliy Majlis Respubliki Uzbekistan, Upolnomochennoy po pravam, heloveka pri Oliy Majlis, RASHIDOVOY S. Fax: (998 71) 139 85 55
Please also write to the embassies of Uzbekistan in your respective country.
Geneva, May 23, 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.