Translation of Bahadir Namazov’s post

For the human rights activist Farhodhon Mukhtarov last month looks like a strange one: law enforcement bodies are using provocateurs to accuse him in every posible sin. One lady blames him of borrowing money; another man whom he sold his apartment to requires the return of money. Every single day militia/police officers come up with something new in order to not let him enjoy his life.

On June 1, 2009 at 14.00 Mukhtarov Farhodhon along with his lawyer and human rights activists Anatoliy Volkov, Tatiana Dovlatova and Oleg Sarapulovym arrived to Yunusabad interior department of Tashkent on summons issued by investigator Boymatov T.

But upon arriving at the appointed time, they saw artificial metallic wall at the entrance and two armed police officers behind it. When Farhodhon Mukhtarov and his lawyer tried to enter the establishment those two officers barred the entrance in categorically way. Moreover, they directed their Kalashnikovs on rights acvtivist and his lawyer. Neither Anatoliy Volkov’s ID nor investigator Boymatov T.’s summons worked.

Human rights activists decided to call on the hotline of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan rather than to argue with AK-47. MIA officer was informed about what was happening. As always, they promised to “deal”. That’s it.

Mukhtarov called investigator and someone who answered explained to him that Boymatov T. is absent and is unlikely to be. Boymatov’s mobile phone remained silent answer.

After more than half an hour they didn’t meet neither an investigator nor Shaira Sadikbekova, the person who blamed him of borrowing money (5 million soum!), and who remembered that three years later. That is weird simply because Mukhtarov’s payment for service was 500,000 soums, but not 5 mln.

Defenders signed the act on what has happened and diverged. Mukhtarov and Dovlatova went to the Tashkent city prosecutor’s office and handed a complaint against illegal actions of the Yunusabad interior department.

Non-appearance at the appointed time and place of investigator Boymatov T. and complainant Shaira Sadikbekova indicates that the criminal case against human rights defender Farhodhon Mukhtarov has no basis and falsified in order to intimidate human rights defenders. This also sindicates that Sadikbekova is just a provocative puppet in the hands of interiaors.

For the sake of justice it has to be mentioned that three years ago Mukhtarov was a defender of Sh. Sadikbekova, a so-called healer.

Human rights activist Elena Urlaeva:

“If Farhodhon Mukhtarov ever received from a Shoira Sadikbekova that amount, we would know about it. They never had such a conversation. We know that Mukhtarov tried to assist in her case. When Mukhtarov decided to stopped this case, she began to circulate false rumors about him.”

A similar view of what happened between Mukhtarov and Sadikbekova is given by another human rights activist Tatyana Dovlatova:

“Shaira Sadikbekova wanted to force me and Anatoliy Volkov to be false witnesses in the case against her daughter-in-law. When we rejected this idea Sadikbekova started to spread all sorts of false rumors about us.”

By the way, there is informations that interiors have provocations against other human rights activists with “help” of Sadikbekova. Well, may God judge them!

On June 8 at 11.30 a.m. Deputy Chief of Criminal Investigation department of Sabir Rakhimov district police arrived to Farkhod Mukhtarov’s apartment. He was accompanied by his four colleagues. Wihout any written evidence he explained that in the morning of that same day somebody wrote a statement against him and Mukhtarov had to go with them to the police station. Isn’t taht a proof that our Ministry of Interior Affairs work very “operatively”? Even Sherlock Holmes would be jealious for them!

Police officer who wanted to remain anonymous:

“What do you want [from us]? Rights activists, according to our classification, are considered as enemies of the authorities; but the corrupted people are not our enemies, on the contrary - they are “honorable men”. Everybody is aware of this.”

Mukhtarov asked officers to show an order for the arrest but they couldn’t respond to that request simply because they didn’t have it. They started insulting Mukhtarov but the latter remained rough and did not respond to their provocations.

After two hours they coudn’t submit the order. By that time, Tatiana Dovlatova, Anatoly Varaksin and Sarapul Oleg showed up and they departed to the interior department of the Sabir Rakhimov police station where Mukhtarov was kept for more than four hours under a strong psychological pressure. Accompanying rights activists were not allowed in and waited outside of the station.

During those four hours police officers shouted at Mukhtarov explaining to him that “All human rights activists are traitors working for the Americans money! When the time is right we will get all of you!!!”

This didnt’ bring to any result and interiors had to release Mukhtarov by saying “This is just the beginning and it’ll be continued.”

To conclude with, I’d like to emphasize that Uzbek authorities continue their policy of intimidation and pressure on human rights activists and other dissidents who critisize their policy. They are trying to force them to be silent or leave the country, which would let them to dominate undividedly and do everything they want. And the case of Farkhod Mukhtarov is one of the small but bright episodes of such policy.

Uzbekistan slowly becomes a kingdom of total lawlessness and corruption, where power-holders and their servants are allowed to do almost everything.

Bahadir Namazov and Oleg Sarapulov, independent journalists and human rights activists.

Jun 16, 2009, Tashkent