Uzbekistan
19.07.02
Urgent Interventions
Uzbekistan: new information in the trial of a human rights activist
URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY
New information
UZB 001/0502/OBS 035.01
Detention / Torture /
Judicial proceeding
Uzbekistan
19 July 2002
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint FIDH and OMCT program, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in the Republic of Uzbekistan:
New information:
The Observatory has been informed by the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan (HRSU), that Mr. Yuldash Rasulov, a member of the Kashkadarya regional department of HRSU, who had been arrested on 24 May 2002 and put in detention in the basement of the Ministry of Interior (MVD),was transferred on 3rd July 2002 to pre-trial detention centre N°1.
Mr. Tolib Yakubov, president of HRSU, and Mr. Rasulov’s sister, who have constituted themselves civil defenders in the case, have been able to see Mr. Rasulov alone only once. According to the HRSU, Mr. Rasulov has been threatened and tortured by an investigator of the Police, in order to get confessions from him.
Mr. Rasulov has been charged in accordance with the following articles of the criminal Code: Article 159, Par. 3.b (betrayal of the Constitutional Order of the Republic of Uzbekistan); Article 242, Par. 1 (creation of a criminal organisation); Article 244, Par. 3 (elaboration and distribution of material threatening the civil security and order); Article 244, Par.1 (preparation, leadership and participation in extremist religious, separatist, fundamentalist organisations, and other forbidden organisations).
Mr. Rasulov is in particular accused of having created a forbidden organisation of 20 persons. Moreover, he is accused of having lead a group of people to Tadjikistan, to be trained to shoot with guns and submachine guns and to fabricate bombs and explosives. According to HRSU, Mr. Rasulov knows only 4 persons amongst the 20 accused of belonging to the organisation, and he has never been to Tadjikistan in his whole life.
The Observatory fears for the physical integrity of Mr. Rasulov and considered the charges against him arbitrary, since their only purpose seems to aim at sanctioning Mr. Rasulov’s activities within the HRSU. The Observatory recalls that Mr Shavrik Ruzimuradov, Chairman of the Kashkadarya regional department of HRSU, was arrested on 12 June 2001 and detained. He was found dead after being allegedly tortured on 7 July 2001, during his detention (see Urgent Appeals UZB 003/0106/OBS 055 and UZB 003/0106/OBS 055.1).
It must be added that this arrest occured in a context of a new wave of arrests in Uzbekistan, on motives of belonging to extremist groups, such as the religious group Izb-ut Tahrir, on the pretext of fighting against terrorism and extremism.
Action requested:
Please write to the authorities in Uzbekistan urging them to:
i guarantee Mr. Yuldash Rasulov's physical and psychological integrity in all circumstances and proceed to its immediate release, since the charges against him are arbitrary ;
ii. put an immediate end to the persecution and the harassment of the independent human rights activists and allow them to act freely;
iii. ensure the implementation of the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations, on 9 December 1998, in particular its article 1 which states that “everyone has the right, individually or in association with others to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”;
iv. guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.
Addresses:
- Islam Abduganievich Karimov, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 700163 g. Tashkent, ul. Uzbekistanskaya, Rezidentsia prezidenta, Respublika Uzbekistan
Fax: + 998 71 - 2 89 00 46
- Abdulaziz Khafizovich Komilov, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; 700029 g. Tashkent; pl. Mustakillik, 5; Respublika Uzbekistan; Fax: + 998 71 - 139 15 17
- Rashidjon Hamidovich Kodirov, General Procurator; 700047 g. Tashkent; ul. Gulyamova, 66; Respublika Uzbekistan; Fax: + 998 71 133 99 36
- Ms. Sayora RASHIDOVA (Ms), Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, 700035 g. Tashkent; ul. Xalqlar Do'stligi, 1; Respublika Uzbekistan Fax: 998 71 133 51 76
E-mail: Office@ombudsman.gov.uz
****************
Geneva-Paris, 19 July 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken, quoting the reference number given above.
The Observatory, an 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
Tel et fax FIDH : 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 / 01 43 55 18 80
Tel et fax OMCT : +4122 809 49 39 / 41 42 809 49 29
E-mail : observatoire@iprolink.ch
The Observatory, an FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to
the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer
them concrete support in time of need.
To Contact the Observatory, call The Emergency Line:
Tel: FIDH: 33 (0) 1 48 05 82 46
OMCT: 41 (0) 22 809 49 39
E-mail: observatoire@iprolink.ch
New information
UZB 001/0502/OBS 035.01
Detention / Torture /
Judicial proceeding
Uzbekistan
19 July 2002
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint FIDH and OMCT program, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in the Republic of Uzbekistan:
New information:
The Observatory has been informed by the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan (HRSU), that Mr. Yuldash Rasulov, a member of the Kashkadarya regional department of HRSU, who had been arrested on 24 May 2002 and put in detention in the basement of the Ministry of Interior (MVD),was transferred on 3rd July 2002 to pre-trial detention centre N°1.
Mr. Tolib Yakubov, president of HRSU, and Mr. Rasulov’s sister, who have constituted themselves civil defenders in the case, have been able to see Mr. Rasulov alone only once. According to the HRSU, Mr. Rasulov has been threatened and tortured by an investigator of the Police, in order to get confessions from him.
Mr. Rasulov has been charged in accordance with the following articles of the criminal Code: Article 159, Par. 3.b (betrayal of the Constitutional Order of the Republic of Uzbekistan); Article 242, Par. 1 (creation of a criminal organisation); Article 244, Par. 3 (elaboration and distribution of material threatening the civil security and order); Article 244, Par.1 (preparation, leadership and participation in extremist religious, separatist, fundamentalist organisations, and other forbidden organisations).
Mr. Rasulov is in particular accused of having created a forbidden organisation of 20 persons. Moreover, he is accused of having lead a group of people to Tadjikistan, to be trained to shoot with guns and submachine guns and to fabricate bombs and explosives. According to HRSU, Mr. Rasulov knows only 4 persons amongst the 20 accused of belonging to the organisation, and he has never been to Tadjikistan in his whole life.
The Observatory fears for the physical integrity of Mr. Rasulov and considered the charges against him arbitrary, since their only purpose seems to aim at sanctioning Mr. Rasulov’s activities within the HRSU. The Observatory recalls that Mr Shavrik Ruzimuradov, Chairman of the Kashkadarya regional department of HRSU, was arrested on 12 June 2001 and detained. He was found dead after being allegedly tortured on 7 July 2001, during his detention (see Urgent Appeals UZB 003/0106/OBS 055 and UZB 003/0106/OBS 055.1).
It must be added that this arrest occured in a context of a new wave of arrests in Uzbekistan, on motives of belonging to extremist groups, such as the religious group Izb-ut Tahrir, on the pretext of fighting against terrorism and extremism.
Action requested:
Please write to the authorities in Uzbekistan urging them to:
i guarantee Mr. Yuldash Rasulov's physical and psychological integrity in all circumstances and proceed to its immediate release, since the charges against him are arbitrary ;
ii. put an immediate end to the persecution and the harassment of the independent human rights activists and allow them to act freely;
iii. ensure the implementation of the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations, on 9 December 1998, in particular its article 1 which states that “everyone has the right, individually or in association with others to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”;
iv. guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.
Addresses:
- Islam Abduganievich Karimov, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 700163 g. Tashkent, ul. Uzbekistanskaya, Rezidentsia prezidenta, Respublika Uzbekistan
Fax: + 998 71 - 2 89 00 46
- Abdulaziz Khafizovich Komilov, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; 700029 g. Tashkent; pl. Mustakillik, 5; Respublika Uzbekistan; Fax: + 998 71 - 139 15 17
- Rashidjon Hamidovich Kodirov, General Procurator; 700047 g. Tashkent; ul. Gulyamova, 66; Respublika Uzbekistan; Fax: + 998 71 133 99 36
- Ms. Sayora RASHIDOVA (Ms), Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, 700035 g. Tashkent; ul. Xalqlar Do'stligi, 1; Respublika Uzbekistan Fax: 998 71 133 51 76
E-mail: Office@ombudsman.gov.uz
****************
Geneva-Paris, 19 July 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken, quoting the reference number given above.
The Observatory, an 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
Tel et fax FIDH : 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 / 01 43 55 18 80
Tel et fax OMCT : +4122 809 49 39 / 41 42 809 49 29
E-mail : observatoire@iprolink.ch
The Observatory, an FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to
the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer
them concrete support in time of need.
To Contact the Observatory, call The Emergency Line:
Tel: FIDH: 33 (0) 1 48 05 82 46
OMCT: 41 (0) 22 809 49 39
E-mail: observatoire@iprolink.ch