UZBEKISTAN: MEDICAL COMMISSION TO EXAMINE

C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 001235 SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/CEN AND DRL E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2018 TAGS: PHUM CASC ICRC PGOV PREL SOCI UZ SUBJECT: UZBEKISTAN: MEDICAL COMMISSION TO EXAMINE IMPRISONED OPPOSITIONIST REF: TASHKENT 1217 Classified By: POLOFF R. FITZMAURICE FOR REASONS 1.4 (B, D) ¶1. (C) Summary: On October 22, the Ambassador met with Indira Umarova, the AmCit wife of imprisoned political oppositionist Sanjar Umarov, who described her recent visit to see her husband in prison on October 17 and his deteriorating HEALTH condition (reftel). Afterwards, the Ambassador drafted a letter to President Karimov, requesting that Umarov be immediately released on humanitarian grounds. In response to the letter, the Ambassador was summoned to a meeting with Foreign Minister Norov on October 24, who reported that on President Karimov's initiative, a special "independent" commission was being created to conduct a medical examination of Umarov. Norov also brought up the issue of Umarova's passport and citizenship, noting that while she had broken Uzbek law by acquiring dual citizenship, the government wanted Umarova to depart as scheduled on October 27. After the Ambassador met Umarova a second time on October 24 and intervened again on her behalf with the MFA, Umarova was granted a second meeting in prison with her husband on October 25. Her passport was also returned to her and she departed Uzbekistan with her two young daughters on October 27. The meeting with Foreign Minister Norov made clear that the Uzbeks are finally aware of the seriousness of the situation and, at the very least, we expect that Umarov will be provided with urgent medical care in an effort to save his life. We would not rule out the possibility -- if Umarov stays alive -- that Umarova is able to come back to see him, or that he might even at some stage be released (and exiled). End summary. AMBASSADOR WRITES LETTER TO PRESIDENT KARIMOV ON UMAROV -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) On October 22, the Ambassador met with Indira Umarova, the wife of imprisoned political oppositionist Sanjar Umarov, who described her recent visit to see her husband in prison and his deteriorating HEALTH condition (reftel). Umarova, who was accompanied by Sunshine Coalition member Nigara Khidoyatova, also repeated her grave concern that her husband may soon die in prison. In view of the gravity of the situation, the Ambassador promised to intervene strongly on Umarov's behalf with Uzbek authorities as soon as possible. Umarova agreed with the Ambassador that the best approach to take at the moment was to keep Umarov's situation in confidential channels as much as possible for now and to limit public statements. ¶3. (C) The Ambassador sent a letter dated October 22 to President Karimov, requesting that Umarov be immediately released on humanitarian grounds. The letter also noted the government's cooperation this year on allowing the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to restart prison visits, and asked that the government take "the next step" by expanding ICRC monitoring to all pre-trial detention facilities to avoid further cases such Umarov's. ¶4. (C) On October 23, the Ambassador spoke with Foreign Minister Norov and Deputy Foreign Minister Nematov on the margins of a UNESCO-sponsored conference on cultural tourism chaired by First Daughter Lola Karimova. Norov confirmed that the letter to President Karimov had been received, and Nematov expressed alarm and immediate understanding of the implications of the situation for Uzbekistan's image and relations with the West. The irony was not lost on him given the venue that a headline on Umarov's situation could cost Uzbekistan thousands of cultural tourists, not to mention other costs. UMAROVA THREATENED BY OVIR -------------- ¶5. (C) On October 23, Umarova was contacted by officials from the Mirzo-Ulugbek district Ministry of Internal Affairs Passport Office (OVIR),where she had submitted her Uzbek passport for an exit visa the week before. The officials demanded that she immediately come to the OVIR office or "face arrest." Once there, the officials shared with Umarova a copy of the Ambassador's letter to President Karimov, which noted that she was an AmCit (Note: She had traveled to Uzbekistan on her Uzbek passport. End note.) The officials pointed out that Umarova had broken Uzbek law, which forbids individuals from possessing dual citizenship, and they threatened to tear up her Uzbek passport in retaliation. ¶6. (C) Umarova, a newly naturalized AmCit, earlier reported that she decided to travel to Uzbekistan on her Uzbek passport after the Uzbek Embassy in Washington told her they would not issue a visa in her U.S. passport until she renounced her Uzbek citizenship, a process they allegedly told her would take 3 to 5 years and require President Karimov's personal intervention (reftel). UNEXPECTEDLY RECEIVES PHONE CALL FROM HUSBAND... -------------- --- ¶7. (C) On October 23, Umarova also unexpectedly received a phone call from her husband. Her husband reportedly only had the strength to whisper into the phone and said almost nothing, with Mrs. Umarova doing most of the talking. The phone call reportedly lasted 20 minutes. AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH FOREIGN MINISTER NOROV -------------- --- ¶8. (C) In response to his letter to President Karimov, the Ambassador was summoned to a meeting with Foreign Minister Norov on October 24. Reading from a short diplomatic note, Norov informed the Ambassador that on President Karimov's initiative, a special "independent" commission was created to conduct a medical examination of Umarov. Norov did not say when and to whom the commission would report its results, but appeared to indicate that it would not take long. ¶9. (C) Norov also brought up the issue of Mrs. Umarova's passport and citizenship. While he stressed that she had broken Uzbek law by acquiring dual citizenship, he also made it clear that the Uzbek government wanted Umarova to depart as scheduled on October 27 and would not interfere with her departure. When the Ambassador later asked for clarification, the MFA explained that Umarova should submit a letter renouncing her Uzbek citizenship to the OVIR office before her departure. When asked at the meeting how the GOU would react if (as we expect) she seeks to return, Norov would not speculate whether she would be granted an Uzbek visa for her American passport. ¶10. (C) During the meeting, the Ambassador reminded Norov that the United States was about to enter a political transition period in which the new Administration would be forming its views of Uzbekistan and possibilities for U.S.-Uzbek cooperation. He also pointed out that how the Umarov case plays out will be a critical part of that assessment. The Ambassador urged the government to apply a humanitarian standard to its approach - arguing that releasing Umarov, and allowing Mrs. Umarova to stay in country, would be in their interest. AMBASSADOR'S SECOND MEETING WITH UMAROVA -------------- ¶11. (C) After the Norov meeting, the Ambassador on October 24 met a second time at the Embassy with Umarova, who this time was accompanied by her two young daughters (both AmCits) and Sunshine Coalition member Nadira Khidiyatova (the sister of Nigara, who was originally tried alongside Umarov, but was given a suspended sentence). Umarova and Khidiyatova interpreted Norov's message and the diplomatic note (which we showed them) as a modestly hopeful sign in an overall miserable and tragic situation. While skeptical about the medical commission's ability to save her husband at this stage, Umarova nevertheless shared our hope that with luck it could potentially be the first step towards her husband being released. She also played a short tape recording of a portion of her phone conversation with her husband from the day before, in which he sounded weak and incoherent. ¶12. (C) Outlining how she intends to handle the matter with the press, Umarova concluded that the best approach would be not to mask the humanitarian distress which a wife would naturally feel upon seeing her husband in such awful circumstances, but equally not make the issue "political" or to back the Uzbek authorities so far into a corner that it undermines the Embassy's ability to pursue Umarov's release or her ability at some point to get an Uzbek visa in order to return here if Umarov survives. Both women agreed on the importance to the government of not losing "face." ¶13. (C) Umarova also asked for the Embassy's assistance in trying to meet with her husband ONE more time before departing Uzbekistan - possibly the last chance she and her two daughters might have to see him alive. After the meeting, the Ambassador relayed this request to the MFA. UMAROVA ALLOWED TO VISIT HUSBAND AGAIN, DEPARTS UZBEKISTAN -------------- -------------- ¶14. (C) On October 25, Umarova phoned poloff to report that she and her daughters had been allowed that day to visit her husband at the Tavaksay prison for ONE hour. She reported that her husband's condition was the same as when she saw him on October 17 (reftel). Umarova asked poloff to pass along her deepest gratitude to the Ambassador, whose efforts she credited with the government's decision to allow her to visit her husband again. ¶15. (C) Umarova also reported that she submitted a letter to OVIR on October 24 declaring her intention to renounce her Uzbek citizenship. The officials at OVIR accepted her letter and returned her Uzbek passport, which they explained she would need to leave the country. They also requested that she submit additional documentation to the Uzbek Embassy in Washington to complete the renunciation of her Uzbek citizenship, which she agreed to do. ¶16. (C) On October 27, Nigara Khidoyatova confirmed to poloff that Umarova and her two daughters had departed Uzbekistan that morning without any difficulties. COMMENT -------------- ¶17. (c) The meeting with Foreign Minister Norov made clear that the Uzbeks are finally aware of the seriousness of the situation, and at the very least, we expect that Umarov will be provided with urgent medical care in an effort to save his life. We would not rule out the possibility -- if Umarov stays alive -- that Umarova is able to come back to see him, or that he might even at some stage be released (and exiled). We should refrain from public comment on this matter at least until the medical commission reports the results of its examination of Umarov (presuming this happens in a timely fashion, of course). However slight, there is still a chance to save Umarov, as well as to get Umarova back into Uzbekistan again, and we will want to think through our next steps carefully before taking to the podium. In the meanwhile, we will continue to urge the Uzbeks to take appropriate action through confidential channels, including during Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia Donald Camp's visit to Tashkent this week. ¶18. (C) In his courtesy call on new Defense Minister Berdiyev on October 24, the Ambassador again emphasized the point that a transition team is about to assess prospects for U.S.-Uzbek cooperation in the future, and we expect this message will be understood when it is conveyed up to the Presidential Apparatus, as the Ambassador's comments to Norov will be as well. We will continue to urge the Uzbeks that it is in their best interest to provide Umarov with urgent medical care and release him from prison. NORLAND