Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07TASHKENT1999
2007-11-20 08:03:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tashkent
Cable title:
DEATHS IN CUSTODY - TORTURE REPORTED
how-toVZCZCXRO0912 RR RUEHDBU DE RUEHNT #1999 3240803 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 200803Z NOV 07 FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8794 INFO RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 3465 RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA 9675 RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 4081 RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 3944 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0683 RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 1659 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0006 RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2144 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0847 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 001999
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2017
TAGS: PHUM PREL UZ
SUBJECT: DEATHS IN CUSTODY - TORTURE REPORTED
Classified By: P/E Chief Ted Burkhalter; reasons 1.4 (b, d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 001999
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2017
TAGS: PHUM PREL UZ
SUBJECT: DEATHS IN CUSTODY - TORTURE REPORTED
Classified By: P/E Chief Ted Burkhalter; reasons 1.4 (b, d).
1. Summary: (C) Human rights activist Surat Ikramov told P/E
Chief November 20 that two convicted members of Hizb
ut-Tahrir had died in an Andijon prison in recent weeks.
Both, he said, had been tortured. Ikramov had not seen the
bodies himself but said he believed the families, who were
his source of information. He said he would try to arrange
for a meeting next week between emboffs and a sister of one
of the deceased, who lives in Tashkent. Separately, the
Chief of Staff to the Uzbek Parliament's Ombudsman for Human
Rights confirmed that one of the individuals had died but
told embassy's political specialist that the cause was
tuberculosis. End summary.
2. (C) According to Ikramov, Tohir Nurmuhammedov died in
prison November 13 as a result of torture. On November 12,
meanwhile, authorities delivered the body of Fitrat
Salohiddinov to his family. Ikramov reported that he too had
died as a result of torture. Both men were held in Andijon
prison, and both were convicted of membership in Hizb
ut-Tahrir (HT).
3. (C) Parliamentary Ombudsman for Human Rights Chief of
Staff Maruf Usmanov told embassy political specialist Ibrat
Usmanov (no relation) on November 20 that Nurmuhammedov had
indeed died but that he had succumbed to tuberculosis and had
passed away in hospital. Ikramov told P/E Chief that he had
spoken with the family of Nurmuhammedov and had been told
that the man had very recently been in good health. Ikramov
said he considered the families' information to be credible
and promised to try to facilitate a meeting for emboffs with
Nurmuhammedov's sister.
Comment: Who to believe?
--------------
4. (C) Ikramov has good connections with the families of
imprisoned HT members and has introduced embassy personnel to
them on previous occassions. While we cannot verify all of
his information all of the time - and neither can he - we
have on numerous occassions found that his information was
indeed accurate. While HT as an organization is not above
providing false or misleading information, we have generally
found that families in mourning have provided accurate
details to human rights defenders. On the other hand, the
GOU has a long-established record of providing inaccurate
causes of death for imprisoned HT members. The two cases
just reported give us considerable scope for concern that the
long pattern of deaths in custody continues in Uzbek prisons.
5. (C) Separately, ICRC notes that these deaths highlight the
importance of independent access to prisoners. ICRC told
Ambassador November 20 that it expects (finally) to meet with
Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) in the next few days, to
seek agreement on a prisons visit protocol.
NORLAND
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2017
TAGS: PHUM PREL UZ
SUBJECT: DEATHS IN CUSTODY - TORTURE REPORTED
Classified By: P/E Chief Ted Burkhalter; reasons 1.4 (b, d).
1. Summary: (C) Human rights activist Surat Ikramov told P/E
Chief November 20 that two convicted members of Hizb
ut-Tahrir had died in an Andijon prison in recent weeks.
Both, he said, had been tortured. Ikramov had not seen the
bodies himself but said he believed the families, who were
his source of information. He said he would try to arrange
for a meeting next week between emboffs and a sister of one
of the deceased, who lives in Tashkent. Separately, the
Chief of Staff to the Uzbek Parliament's Ombudsman for Human
Rights confirmed that one of the individuals had died but
told embassy's political specialist that the cause was
tuberculosis. End summary.
2. (C) According to Ikramov, Tohir Nurmuhammedov died in
prison November 13 as a result of torture. On November 12,
meanwhile, authorities delivered the body of Fitrat
Salohiddinov to his family. Ikramov reported that he too had
died as a result of torture. Both men were held in Andijon
prison, and both were convicted of membership in Hizb
ut-Tahrir (HT).
3. (C) Parliamentary Ombudsman for Human Rights Chief of
Staff Maruf Usmanov told embassy political specialist Ibrat
Usmanov (no relation) on November 20 that Nurmuhammedov had
indeed died but that he had succumbed to tuberculosis and had
passed away in hospital. Ikramov told P/E Chief that he had
spoken with the family of Nurmuhammedov and had been told
that the man had very recently been in good health. Ikramov
said he considered the families' information to be credible
and promised to try to facilitate a meeting for emboffs with
Nurmuhammedov's sister.
Comment: Who to believe?
--------------
4. (C) Ikramov has good connections with the families of
imprisoned HT members and has introduced embassy personnel to
them on previous occassions. While we cannot verify all of
his information all of the time - and neither can he - we
have on numerous occassions found that his information was
indeed accurate. While HT as an organization is not above
providing false or misleading information, we have generally
found that families in mourning have provided accurate
details to human rights defenders. On the other hand, the
GOU has a long-established record of providing inaccurate
causes of death for imprisoned HT members. The two cases
just reported give us considerable scope for concern that the
long pattern of deaths in custody continues in Uzbek prisons.
5. (C) Separately, ICRC notes that these deaths highlight the
importance of independent access to prisoners. ICRC told
Ambassador November 20 that it expects (finally) to meet with
Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) in the next few days, to
seek agreement on a prisons visit protocol.
NORLAND