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