Translation of Bahadir Namazov’s post

There are lots of materials by independent journalists on Tashkent rehabilitation center, also known as “Panelny”. For example, on October 10, 2008, Ferghana.ru published its article about this center entitled “Uzbekistan: Homeless people are being provided to modern slaveholders by militia [police]?”

There were other materials about this center and its patients in other independent publications, but state media somehow bypasses this issue. Probably, there is something to hide.

Largest Tashkent special place for the homeless, the so-called Rehabilitation Center, is located in a residential area caled “Panelny” and is administered by the Municipal Department of Internal Affairs of Tashkent. Homeless people are being gathered by militia on the streets and brought to the rehabilitation center where they are given a place to stay and food. In addition [to this "charity"], they are distributed among Tashkent MIA objects for work (see Fergana.Ru article, October 10, 2008).

On the example of independent human rights activist Ilnur Abdulov we will try to look at this institution from the inside and compare it with available articles; will try to come up with conclusions on what and in what way has already changed in that “empire” of the homeless protected by authorities and their care.

Ilnur Abdulov got into this center after his illegal detention by law enforcement officials when he tried to approach the Embassy of the Czech Republic to provide statements of independent human rights activists on human rights violations in Uzbekistan to representatives of the Embassy. Militia officers considred it as a great «threat» to society and detained him along with all activists who tried to join the event. After being kept by at the district offices of the militia until a certain time (usually until 6-8 p.m.), activists were they released except for Ilnur Abdulov who was severely beaten during arrest.

He was sent to the mentioned above center for identification, as if he did not have necessary documents (ID’s). In fact, Ilnur Abdulov’s passport was confiscated by militia department of Kibray district earlier and they had all details of him. So if it were necessary the identity could be found the same day. In principle, the identity of a human rights Ilnur Abdulov is well-known for the militia. This shows that Ilnur Abdulov was illegally sent to the center and that it is not intended for people like him. What did officers want to clarify about Ildar and how did they want to rehabilitate him?

Human rights activist Elena Urlaeva commented on this fact: “Ilnur Abdulov was placed to this center not accidentally, but deliberately, as punishment for his will to find truth and justice; because he is rights activist. They just took their opportunity to show their pressure towards him and to intimidate him and other human rights activists once again.”

Ilnur Abdulov spent 15 days in the premises of the rehabilitation center, and if not the perseverance and tenacity of Tatyana Dovlatova and Farhodhon Mukhtarov, rights activists, who made investigator of the Kibray militia department send all materials on Abdulov to the center, he would have spent in this place for the whole 30 days and rehabilitate himself without knowing what to be rehabilitated from.

Abdulov explains his detaining at the center:

“I Abdulov Ilnur, born on March 12, 1964, contained at the Rehabilitation Center of the Municipal Department of Internal Affairs of Tashkent from June 10 to June 25, 2009. Investigator - Durmamedov Bakhodir. All my documents are confiscated as a physical evidence from March 2, 2009 at the Kibray militia department, as I have mentioned in my explanatory letter along with investigator’s number and name to the Municipal Department of Internal Affairs investigator Durmamedov B., during first interrogation on June 11, 2009.

The Rehabilitation center of the Municipal Department of Internal Affairs investigators are forcing to give money to them but not investigate the circumstances of the case, and even with all the identity documents detained, they continue to hold him in his cell until they get money. That is how Durmamedov decided to do and did not call call to find anything [on me], but simply asked 100 000 soums (55 dollars) for his assistance.

On June 22, 2009 documents verifying my identity were provided to [him] but I remained to be detained in the Rehabilitation center of the Municipal Department. And only on June 25, after Tatyana Dovlatova appealed to A. Rustamov, the head of the Department, I was released.”

Human rights activist Tatyana Dovlatova, who did a great deal for the release of Abdulov says:

“Militia officers are using their full lawlessness do everything for the impunity. To get Ildar Abdulov’s documents from Kibray militia department and to provide them to the rehabilitation center me and Farhodhon Mukhtarov had tell them we were his relatives. Investigator tried to cheat for several times but we wrote few complaints. After that they gave way to release Ilnur.”

After being released Ilnur Abdulov has written several statements and appeals to various authorities about terrible situation and state of affairs at that so-called rehabilitation center.

This is how Ilnur describes his period of “life there”:

“Officers of the center humiliate, insulte and beat detainees. On June 22 Hasan, officer-on-duty, beat me. There is a copy of the document on this fact by a doctor of the center on June 25 after my request.

People sit locked up in stuffy chambers of 10-12 people, and sometimes up to 24 people, while the camera is designed for 5-6 people. There is nothing to breathe and people swoon very often. People are fed once a day only with soup, gruel, and 2/3 loafs of bread. Spoons are prohibited, and prisoners eat in the cell on the floor, where they also sleep. 0,5 liter of tea per person a day.

There is no soap in the bath, toilet paper, one blade for several people. There is no toilet provided in the cameras for men. In such unsanitary conditions, many suffer from diarrhea. But the guards allow to go to the toilet only three times a day - morning, lunch and evening - inmates defecate in plastic bags and bottels. As a result, smell in cells is terrible.

Medical assistance is not provided, it is motivated by the fact that for more than two months they do not have medication. I tried to get a consultation with a doctor for 8 times but never saw him except for the last when I was released.

There are local “bosses” used by authorities to press detainees.

Works are done by detained people for free; they just get tobacco and tea for their work. And nobody knows who receives the salary for these works.

Also authorities use their “right” to sell detainees for various works outside of the center. Every morning “buyers” come announce how many people of definite profession they need, and then they just get their slaves (the most right definition for the detainees there). There were cases when people were taken to the neighboring republics.

While processing the release no paper is provided to prove that you were detained here and for what reasons. It is usual that people are brought back into the center in a couple of days after release. This is a well-established business: militia officer gets from 28000 to 84000 soums as bonus for every detainee.”

After reading this confession of the man who spent at the so-called rehabilitation center you realize that there is nothing with rehabilitation. This looks like even more humiliation and degradation of those who are already humiliated and degradated by those who should protect them and to make sure nobody will humiliate and insult them anymore.

Everything that happens in this place looks like a fascist concentration camp back to the 20th century.

Law enforcement officials with “enterprenership” skills found it as industry to use the center as a source of improving their personal welfare. What can you expect from the current system which is built on the same ideology.

The author of this post wishes Ilnur Abdulov to find justice and to resolve all his problems without future same “adventures.”

And we can only wait for changes for the better since everything that happens in this country is the outcome of a cruel, already sick but still alive (because it is being supported by power-holders) system of the suppression of personality, of enrichment on the oppression and humiliation of others, which has its roots back to the Kokand, Khiva and Bukhara Khanates.

Bahadir Namazov, journalist and human rights activist, chairman of the Commitee to release prisoners of conscience.

July 2, 2009