Uzbekistan: Human Rights Update

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TASHKENT 001609 SENSITIVE SIPDIS AMEMBASSY ASTANA PASS TO AMCONSUL ALMATY AMEMBASSY HELSINKI PASS TO AMCONSUL ST PETERSBURG AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PASS TO AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PASS TO AMCONSUL YEKATERINBURG AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PASS TO AMEMBASSY PODGORICA AMEMBASSY ATHENS PASS TO AMCONSUL THESSALONIKI E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/12/04 TAGS: PREL PHUM ELAB PGOV UZ SUBJECT: Uzbekistan: Human Rights Update REF: 09 TASHKENT 1593 CLASSIFIED BY: Holly Lindquist Thomas, P/E Officer, State, Tashkent; REASON: 1.4(B),(D) ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Post continues to follow the cases of imprisoned journalist Dilmurod Sayyid (aka Saidov) and poet Yusuf Juma, two Uzbek citizens convicted of charges widely believed to be politically motivated. Family members of both Sayyid and Juma report the two men to be in bad health, and rumors that there might be discussions about releasing Sayyid following the death of his wife and daughter appear to be unfounded. Also, during what appears to be a time of sustained pressure against human rights activists (see reftel),authorities prevented a conference by political opposition party "Birdamlik," and sentenced another human rights activist to five years in prison on what appear to be trumped up charges. End summary. Dilmurod Sayyid ¶1. (C) On November 5, the wife and daughter of Dilmurod Sayyid, the journalist recently sentenced to 12 B= years in prison, were killed in a car accident. Not surprisingly, conspiracy theorists have run wild with the news, and there have been conflicting reports in the press about the accident itself: one report says that Sayyid's wife was on her way to the prison after being requested to bring his passport (fueling speculation); another, written by a family member, says she was just visiting her family in the region where the accident occurred. Sayyid's brother, Abidjan Sayyid, told poloff that he believes it was just an accident, but couldn't be sure. "Anything can happen in Uzbekistan," he noted. ¶2. (C) Several local human rights groups have called for Sayyid's release on humanitarian grounds, both because of the death of his family and due to his declining health. An independent press report stated that prison administration officials had agreed to discuss his release. Abidjan Sayyid said that he and his brother went to the prison authority (GUIN) on November 9 to request a transfer from Samarkand to Tashkent so that it would be �00A;easier for their elderly mother to visit. They have had no response as yet. He does not believe that there is any discussion in the prison authority about release on humanitarian grounds. Abidjan reported that Dilmurod is very thin and coughing more and more due to active tuberculosis. Yusuf Juma ¶3. (C) Feruza Yusupjon, the daughter of jailed poet and activist Yusuf Juma, reported on November 20 that she had been waiting in a hotel near Jaslyk prison, where her father is held, for five days. Yusupjon stated that all of the family members of prisoners at Jaslyk stay at that hotel, and every day at 8:30am, prison authorities come to the hotel and read the names off a list of who will be allowed access to the prison that day. ¶4. (C) Yusupjon reported that she learned from family members of other prisoners that the day before the International Committee for the Red Cross was to visit Jaslyk Prison in October, Juma and several other prisoners were transferred to a facility in Nukus, and returned to Jaslyk after 15 days. Yusupjon also reported that during the past few weeks, plain clothed officers two or three times have shown up at her house in the middle of the night to TASHKENT 00001609 002 OF 003 search her home and question her. Her husband was in Russia during these visits, and she eventually moved to her uncle's house in order to avoid the harassment. ¶5. (C) On November 27, Alisher Yusupjon, Juma's son, reported that Feruza was allowed to meet with Juma on November 21-23 and was very concerned over his physical well being. She learned that before being moved to Nukus, guards repeatedly beat him, told him he would never be let out, and handcuffed him to the ceiling of his cell. Birdamlik ¶6. (C) The opposition party Birdamlik, led by recently returned "opposition figure" Bahtiyor Choriev, was to hold a "founding congress" in the Kashkadarya town of Shahrisabz on November 24. Party coordinator Diloram Iskhakova reported that they expected 40 delegates to attend, but 30 of them were either detained in their homes, taken to police stations, or had their passports taken by law enforcement. (Note: At one mountain pass, local police chiefs reportedly were standing guard to stop activists based in the Ferghana Valley from crossing. End note.) Birdamlik canceled the congress and there are no plans to reschedule. Birdamlik had to cancel last year's attempt to hold such a meeting, as well, for similar reasons. ¶7. (C) Iskhakova, who herself was held at a district police station in Tashkent until 10:00pm, informed Post that all of the detained delegates have been released and the three people whose passports were taken expected to receive them back. ¶8. (C) Fakhriddin Tiloev, a human rights activist and member of the Erk opposition party, reported to poloff on December 3 that he was caught up in police activities surrounding the Birdamlik meeting. On November 23, Tiloev was traveling by bus to Tashkent when police officers at a checkpoint pulled him aside, telling him his name was on a list. They brought him to the police station, produced a witness who accused Tiloev of insulting him a few days earlier, charged him, tried him, and kept him in jail for six days. (Note: Tiloev was not allowed an attorney and no prosecutor participated in the brief trial. Rather, the judge conducted the trial and made his decision.) Tiloev stated that while he had been invited to the Birdamlik meeting, he did not plan to attend. Nevertheless, he believes that law enforcement concerns over the meeting prompted the actions against him. Ganikhon Mamatkhanov ¶9. (C) On November 24, the Akhunbabaev District Court of the Fergana Region sentenced human rights activist Ghanijon Mamatkhanov to five years in prison for extortion and attempted bribery. Mamatkhanov is a human rights activist who worked on farmers' issues. (See reftel.) The trial concluded quickly; reportedly because the main witnesses, who alleged extortion, failed to show up. (Note: The internet press uznews.com reported that the only witness to show up would not confirm that Mamathanov had demanded money and told the judge that he had been pressured to make false statements.) Fergana-based activist Abdusalom Ergashev, who was TASHKENT 00001609 003 OF 003 with Mamatkhanov when he was arrested, reported that the charges against Mamatkhanov were baseless and that the prosecution was unable to produce any evidence of its claims. Mamatkhanov is expected to appeal. BUTCHER BUTCHER