UZBEKISTAN: HIZB UT-TAHRIR ARRESTS IN 2008

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 08 TASHKENT 000056 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA, DRL, AND INR AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PASS TO AMEMBASSY PODGORICA AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PASS TO AMCONSUL YEKATERINBURG AMEMBASSY HELSINKI PASS TO AMCONSUL ST PETERSBURG AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PASS TO AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019-01-13 TAGS: PHUM KCRM KIRF KISL KWMN PGOV PINR PREF PREL PTER SOCI TI, UZ SUBJECT: UZBEKISTAN: HIZB UT-TAHRIR ARRESTS IN 2008 REF: a) 08 TASHKENT 722, b) 08 TASHKENT 1288, c) 08 TASHKENT 299 d) TASHKENT 3, e) 08 TASHKENT 777, f) TASHKENT 2, g) 08 TASHKENT 878 CLASSIFIED BY: Richard Fitzmaurice, Poloff; REASON: 1.4(B),(D) ¶1. (C) Summary: State-controlled media, independent news website s, and local human rights activists continue to report on arrests in Uzbekistan of suspected members of the Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT) religious extremist group, as well as the arrests of other banned religious groups members. In 2008, there were public reports of 88 individuals being arrested for HT membership, but only eight reported cases of persons being imprisoned. Local activists reported a few additional HT arrests and convictions in 2008, but the reports were of questionable reliability. In addition, 14 persons were reported to have been imprisoned based on membership in unspecified extremist "Wahhabi" sects and 11 persons were imprisoned for membership in the Islamic Jihad Union (IJU) terrorist group. Most likely, there were other cases not publicly reported. When reviewing the reported cases of individuals arrested for HT membership this year, four observations immediately stand out: first, few of the reported arrests occurred in the Ferghana Valley region of Uzbekistan, the traditional hotspot for religious extremism in Central Asia; second, almost half of the reported arrests were of women this year (while a few of the women were imprisoned, many of them were released without charge, amnestied, or given suspended sentences); third, the total number of reported HT convictions appears to have declined for the second year in a row; fourth, unlike in previous years, there were few reports of authorities accusing persons of HT membership based solely on outward expressions of devout belief. Instead, it appears that authorities are mostly targeting relatives of those who are already imprisoned on religious extremism charges. End summary. WHAT IS HIZB UT-TAHRIR (HT)? -------------- ¶2. (U) Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT) is an extremist Islamist political organization motivated by a socioreligious ideology. Its literature lays out a three-stage campaign for the establishment of a worldwide Islamic Caliphate. While HT maintains that it is nonviolent, it has repeatedly praised or justified acts of armed jihad and instances of terrorism. Its literature strongly suggests that the organization might at a later stage resort to armed action. The party's virulently anti-Semitic and anti-Western literature and websites call for the armed overthrow of secular governments, including those in Central Asia. ¶3. (U) HT was originally founded in 1953 by Palestinian Taqiuddin al-Nabhani, a judge of the Sharia Appeals Court in Jerusalem. After Nabhani's death in 1979, Jordanian Abad al-Qadim Zalum took over as HT's leader until his own death in 2003, when he was replaced by HT's current "Emir," Jordanian Palestinian Ataa' Abu Rushta, who is believed to reside in Lebanon. Little is publicly known about HT's leadership. London remains a center of HT activity, and HT is active in at least 40 other countries, including in all five Central Asian states, Russia, and Germany. ¶4. (U) Over the years, the Uzbek government has committed serious human rights abuses in its campaign against banned religious extremist organizations such as HT. Independent human rights activists report that as many as 5,500 individuals have been imprisoned on religious extremism charges since independence, TASHKENT 00000056 002 OF 008 though this number has not been independently verified. Few of t he imprisoned suspects have been released, even after finishing their sentences, which in some cases have been arbitrarily extended, according to activists. Most of those arrested have been charged with HT membership (approximately 4,500 of the 5,500 cases), although the government also has charged alleged extremists with membership in other banned religious and terrorist organizations. The government states that it does not consider repression of persons or groups suspected of extremism to be a matter of religious freedom, but rather of preventing armed resistance to the government ¶5. (U) Comment: We believe that the government's efforts to suppress HT and prosecute its members are based on the group's political activity and are not a restriction on religious freedom, but we remain concerned about human rights violations when such suspects are mistreated in custody or denied due process. In previous years, we were also concerned that the government prosecuted large numbers of ordinary Muslims for HT membership based largely on outward expressions of conservative religious faith. However, in the last two years, there were relatively few such cases reported. In general, the government appears to have loosened controls on the practice and teaching of moderate Islam. End comment. HIZB UT-TAHRIR ARRESTS AND CONVICTIONS IN 2008 -------------- - ¶6. (C) The state-controlled media, as well as Russian news agencies quoting official government sources, reported a total of 88 arrests of Hizb ut-Tahrir members in 2008, but only eight cases in which individuals were imprisoned. The fate of the other individuals is unknown. 42 of the individuals arrested for HT membership, and six of the individuals imprisoned, were women. 12 of the women arrested were released without charge, pardoned, or given suspended sentences, while the fate of the remaining women is unknown. While it is possible that some of the individuals arrested endured mistreatment or were denied due process, in most cases, allegations of abuse were not reported. Most likely, there were additional HT arrests in 2008 that were not publicly reported. In addition, local activist reported to poloff a few additional HT arrests and convictions in 2008, though the reports were of questionable reliability. ¶7. (U) On December 8, 2008, the state-controlled Termiz Oqshomi newspaper reported that a husband and wife, both residents of the Muzrabot district of Surkhundarya province, were imprisoned for HT membership. The couple reportedly became HT members in 2003, and the husband was accused of distributing extremist literature. ¶8. (C) On November 17, the state-controlled UzReport.com and Gorizont.uz websites reported that police in Tashkent had uncovered a HT cell of 27 women in Tashkent. The article reported that criminal charges were not brought against the cell's two female leaders, who were released after they had repented and named other HT members (septel). TASHKENT 00000056 003 OF 008 ¶9. (U) On October 17, the state-controlled Denov Chagoniyon newspaper reported that the Denov District Criminal Court in Surkhundarya province sentenced female resident Khonposhsho Polvonova to six years' imprisonment for HT membership. The court reportedly concluded that Polvonova had been a HT member since 2000 and had been originally recruited by another HT activist, Malika Boriyeva. Polvonova also reportedly distributed money to other HT members. ¶10. (U) On August 5, Interfax, citing the press service of the Uzbek Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD),reported that MVD officers detained a group of 40 HT members in Tashkent. The group was reportedly led by a Tashkent resident, Maqsud Z., who regularly traveled to an unnamed Arab country, where he was indoctrinated into HT and provided with a large amount of HT literature and video material to distribute in Uzbekistan. In Tashkent, Maqsud reportedly set up a "jihoz," a HT community of over 40 members, which was broken down into "khalqa," or cells of five persons and a "mushrif," or teacher. The Interfax story was later referenced by an editorial on Radio Free Europe's website on August 6, which noted that the arrest of 40 individuals was unusual as HT is usually organized into small cells. ¶11. (U) On July 28, Interfax, citing an unnamed Uzbek law enforcement source, reported that four women from the town of Denov in Surkhundarya province were imprisoned for HT membership. Gulbahor Ahmadjonova and Hafiza Haydarova were sentenced to five years' imprisonment, while Shahriniso Orinova and Dilshoda Eshqobilova were sentenced to three years' imprisonment. It is unknown whether this case was connected to that of Khonposhsho Polvonova, who was also convicted in Denov (see para 9). ¶12. (U) On June 20, the state-controlled Diyonat newspaper reported that Toshtemir Egamberdiyev, a resident of the Chust district of Namangan province, had been sentenced to seven years' imprisonment for HT membership. According to the article, Egamberdiyev joined HT while serving a prison sentence in Bukhara province. After his release from prison, Egamberdiyev reportedly tried to recruit five individuals to join HT. In addition, a CD with religious extremism material was reportedly found at his home. ¶13. (U) On June 18, the state-controlled Mahalla newspaper reported that two women - Ugiloi Mirzayeva from Yangiyul and Rano Akhorkhodzhayeva from the Chinoz district of Tashkent province - were sentenced to two years' probation. A court initially sentenced the women to five years imprisonment, but it immediately commuted the sentences to probation, citing the fact the both women were mothers with large families. Mirzayeva was reportedly a "high ranking" member of a HT cell from 2003 to 2005, while Akhorkhodzhayeva led HT activities in her region. According to the article, Mirzayeva's husband was also a HT member. The convictions were also reported by Interfax on June 20. The 2008 International Religious Freedom Report on Uzbekistan mistakenly reported that the women were imprisoned. ¶14. (U) On June 12, the state-controlled Ishonch newspaper reported that 11 individuals from Surkhundarya province, including TASHKENT 00000056 004 OF 008 eight women from the Quyibshkent neighborhood of Qarshi district, were arrested for HT membership but were later released by Uzbek authorities. The article reports that authorities did not pursue criminal charges against nine of the individuals, while two others were pardoned. One of the arrested women, Gavharoy Rahmanova, was quoted as stating that after her husband was imprisoned for HT membership, she was lured into HT participation by other sect members. She regretted her actions and reported that she would "listen to the advice" of her regional and local women's committees and Mahalla (neighborhood committee) leaders. ¶15. (C) In June, a human rights activist from Surkhundarya province reported to poloff that four residents of the province were tortured and imprisoned for membership in HT in May. The individuals were reportedly arrested in Tajikistan and were then turned over to the Uzbek National Security Service (NSS) (ref A). However, since the activist first reported the case, he has failed to produce promised documents, including court documents, and has also proven himself unreliable in other human rights cases. It is possible that the case reported by the activist is somehow connected to an arrest of an alleged Islamic Jihad Union (IJU) member in Surkhundarya province in June (see para 19). OTHER RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM ARRESTS AND CONVICTIONS IN 2008 -------------- -------------- ¶16. (U) While membership in HT was the most prevalent charge used against alleged suspected extremists in 2008, 14 individuals were reported to have been imprisoned based on membership in unspecified extremist "Wahhabi" sects in 2008. In addition, 11 alleged members of the Islamic Jihad Union (IJU) terrorist group were imprisoned in ¶2008. In contrast to previous years, however, there were no reported cases in 2008 of individuals being arrested or imprisoned for membership in other banned religious organizations, such as Tabligh Jamoat or Akromiya, although a source reported the killing by police of an Akromiya member in November. As with HT, it is possible there were additional cases of individuals charged with membership in banned extremists groups that were not publicly reported. ¶17. (U) In October, Uzbek state-controlled television reported in October that ten individuals from the town of Khonobod in Andijon province were convicted of terrorism-related criminal charges and sentenced to between 15 and 16 years' imprisonment. The men were reportedly first arrested in April. A NSS investigation reportedly showed that the men were members of the Islamic Jihad Union (IJU) terrorist group who that had trained in Pakistan. IJU claimed responsibility for the attacks in Tashkent and Bukhara in March and April 2004 and the bombings in July 2004 in front of the U.S. and Israeli Embassies. IJU is also active in other countries, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Germany (ref B). ¶18. (U) On September 27, the Uzbek Ministry of Interior's Na Postu newspaper reported that Samad N., a computer programmer from Tashkent, was arrested for preparing religious extremist publications for an unidentified Wahhabi group. Samad, who reportedly started off repairing computers for the group, later TASHKENT 00000056 005 OF 008 made copies of a "religious extremist publication which urged global jihad against 'infidels,' overthrowing the [Uzbek] government, and setting up a religious society." He also allegedly taught other young extremists computer programming skills. ¶19. (U) On June 12, the state-controlled Ishonch newspaper reported that an unnamed individual from Surkhundarya province's Koson district was convicted of membership in IJU and planning a "coup d'etat" in Uzbekistan together with other IJU members from the town of Khujand in Tajikistan. ¶20. (U) In February 2008, a court in Bukhara sentenced 13 individuals to between 16 and 20 years' imprisonment on charges of membership in an unspecified religious extremist organization. One of the defendants reportedly confessed after authorities threatened to harm him and his family. Even though the trial was held in Bukhara, the defendants were all from the town of Shakhrisabz in Kashkadarya province (ref C). ¶21. (U) On January 22, the Zangiata District Criminal Court in Tashkent province sentenced Alisher Ubayedullayev to five years' imprisonment for membership in a Wahhabist extremist organization. Authorities accused Ubaydullayev of spreading Wahhabi ideas and reportedly cited his participation in an anti-government rally held outside of the Uzbek Embassy in London in 2005. ¶22. (C) While there were no known arrests of members of Akromiya in 2008, a human rights activist from Andijon reported that Tashkent police beat to death an Akromiya member from Andijon in November (ref D). The report was confirmed by the brother of the Akromiya member, who is currently residing in Idaho on political asylum. WOMEN AMNESTIED, PUBICLY ATONE FOR EXTREMIST ACTIVITIES -------------- -------------- ¶23. (U) The state-controlled media also carried several articles this year quoting Uzbek women atoning for their participation in religious extremist organizations and warning other women to stay away from such groups. At least two of the women quoted were amnestied and released from prison this year. ¶24. (U) On November 19, Uzbek Television Second Channel Yoshlar reported on a meeting held by chief Imam of Tashkent Anvar qori Tursunov in Tashkent warning women about the dangers of religious extremism. The report quoted an unnamed woman who stated that she had joined HT in 1998 "because of my ignorance of [Islam]." After a religious affairs adviser in her neighborhood had explained to her the "essence of [Islam]," she repented her HT activities and was now against the group. The television program further reported that "as a result of educational and explanatory work being carried out in the country, the majority of misled women have understood that they were wrong." TASHKENT 00000056 006 OF 008 ¶25. (U) On February 9, the MVD's Na Postu newspaper included interviews with two women who had been recently amnestied and released from prison, where they were serving time on religious extremism charges. Maysara H., a woman from Tashkent who had been sentenced in 2005 to ten years' imprisonment for membership in an unspecified religious extremist organization, was quoted as being "infinitely grateful to the government" for amnestying her and "still ashamed that I was so blind and did not realize the true motives of religious extremists." Mahbuba A., a resident of Andijon who was imprisoned for HT membership, also publicly regretted her extremist activities. In addition, Lieutenant Colonel Zulfiya Mirsamiqova, the deputy director of the women's prison in Tashkent, is quoted as stating that the government had brought in experts and religious figures to the prison to speak with women who had been convicted of religious extremism, and she believed that the interventions were successful. EXTRADITION OF RELIGIOUS EXTREMIST SUSPECTS TO UZBEKISTAN -------------- -------------- ¶26. (U) In 2008, the Uzbek government continued to pursue the extradition of suspected Uzbek religious extremists from third countries, particularly from Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Ukraine. During the year, there were at least two confirmed reports of individuals being extradited to Uzbekistan on religious extremism charges. At least two other individuals were detained in Russia awaiting extradition to Uzbekistan on religious extremism charges and it is unknown whether they have been extradited yet (septel). CURRENT LIST OF BANNED RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS -------------- - ¶27. (U) The state-controlled Termiz Adolat Tarozisi newspaper on January 10, 2008, printed a Cabinet of Ministers Religious Affairs Committee list of banned religious organizations in Uzbekistan, which include: - Hizb ut-Tahrir; - the "Wahhabi religious and political group"; - the "Nurchilar religious community"; - Akromiya; - Edot, a "Wahhabist-type radical religious group"; - Hizbun-Nursa ("Party of Victory"),reportedly a religious political party that split from HT and whose activity ceased after the arrest of its leaders; - the "Adolat religious reactionary organization," a forbearer of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan that was formed in Namangan in 1989; TASHKENT 00000056 007 OF 008 - Islam Lashkarlari ("Warriors of Islam"); - Islam Uygonish Partiyasi (the "Islamic Revival Party"); - Islam Birodarlari ("Islamic Brothers"),reportedly formed by Tajik opposition leader Sayed Abdullo Nuri in 1989; - the Muslim Brotherhood; - the Association of Uzbek Mujahidin; - Tabligh Jamoat; - and Tawba, a group that was reportedly active in the Ferghana Valley between 1991 and 1995. ¶28. (U) In addition to these groups, the government also bans participation in terrorist organizations, including the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and IJU. COMMENT -------------- ¶29. (C) When reviewing the reported cases of individuals arrested and imprisoned for HT membership this year, several observations immediately stand out. First, few of the reported arrests occurred in the Ferghana Valley region of Uzbekistan, the traditional hotspot for religious extremism in Central Asia. This past summer, human rights activists and imams also reported few recent arrests in the Ferghana Valley (ref E). In contrast, most of the reported arrests occurred in Surkhundarya province, which borders Tajikistan and Afghanistan, and in Tashkent province. Second, almost half of the total reported arrests for HT membership involved women this year. While a few of the women were imprisoned, many of them were released without charge, amnestied, or given suspended sentences. There were also reported cases of women who had been imprisoned for religious extremism in previous years that were amnestied and released from prison this year. We had earlier noticed a similar phenomenon, when, mostly due to cultural reasons, women who had been convicted of human trafficking were less likely to serve full prison sentences than men who had been convicted of the same charge (though this appears to have ceased after we pressed the Uzbeks on this point in our discussions on TIP). In contrast, authorities appear reluctant to release men who have been convicted of religious extremism over the years, and there were continued reports this year of authorities arbitrarily extending the sentences of such prisoners. Third, the total number of reported HT convictions appears to have declined for the second year in a row. If one accepts at face-value reports by human rights activists that as many as 5,500 individuals have been imprisoned in Uzbekistan on religious extremism charges since independence (an average of roughly 325 convictions a year),one also would likely be forced to conclude that the number of such convictions has leveled off in recent years. Our main concern in such cases continues to be that some suspects are abused in custody and denied due process. We also continue to worry that Uzbek prisons, where large numbers of suspected religious prisoners continue to be held (and only very rarely are released),could serve as incubators for a new generation of religious extremists. TASHKENT 00000056 008 OF 008 ¶30. (C) It is certainly possible that fewer arrests of suspected religious extremists occurred in 2008 because many male HT members have already been imprisoned, been driven deep underground after years of arrests, or have already fled to other areas with less severe repression, such as the Kyrgyz portions of the Ferghana Valley, where HT appears to be more visibly active. Another possibility is that labor migration from the region has drained the number of possible male recruits. Several sources have reported that HT is less visibly active in Uzbekistan than ten years' ago (refs E and F),no doubt partly due to the government's severe crackdown on suspected members since the 1990s. The fact that authorities appear to be now targeting female relatives of HT members also suggests that many male HT members have already been imprisoned. However, we also believe that the government in recent years has been more successful in promoting a moderate form of Islam, which may be draining some support for religious extremists like HT (refs E and G). Knowledgeable observers note that the government may have recognized that the limits it previously placed on other avenues of religious fulfillment correlate directly with the success of extremist organizations in attracting membership. As the number of known cases of arrests or detention of alleged religious extremists has decreased, mosque attendance and open displays of religiosity have notably increased. ¶31. (C) Unlike in previous years, there were few reports of authorities accusing persons of HT membership based solely on outward expressions of devout belief or making false assertions of HT membership as a pretext for prosecuting those of moderate religious belief. Instead, it appears that authorities are mostly targeting relatives of those who are already imprisoned on religious extremism charges. Whether or not the relatives are also HT members, Uzbek authorities likely do not make such distinctions. It is possible that such persons are easy targets for Ministry of Interior (MVD) police officers seeking to demonstrate to superiors that they are being tough on alleged extremists. As noted above, few of the arrests occurred in the Ferghana Valley, where the NSS is believed to exercise greater control over law enforcement, than in Tashkent and Surkhundarya provinces, where the MVD is believed to have freer rein. While the NSS has been accused of human rights abuses and concocting false charges against individuals over the years, it is still seen as a more professional service than the MVD. ¶32. (C) Some might argue that that the number of reported arrests declined this year because human rights organizations are less active in the country than in previous years. However, we do not believe this is the case. While Human Rights Watch (HRW) no longer has a staff member permanently based in Uzbekistan, it continues to send researchers periodically to the country to research cases. Furthermore, even when HRW had a permanent staff member on the ground, it rarely engaged in original reporting on religious extremism cases. Rather, such arrests are almost always first reported by local human rights activists, who then inform HRW, foreign Embassies, and independent internet news websites. These local activists, who do not always report objectively on cases (septel),have faced no greater or lesser restrictions on their ability to report on religious extremism cases this year than in previous years. While not a perfect metric, the number of reported cases remains the only remotely objective criteria we have for measuring the government's suppression of suspected religious extremists. BUTCHER To view the entire SMART message, go to URL http://repository.state.sgov.gov/_l ayouts/OSSSearchResults.aspx?k=messageid:7765 7b8b-c3a6-432a-816e-9c756a099df7