Sunshine Coalition of Uzbekistan

Ezgulik: Sanjar Umarov is being denied basic legal rights

February 12th, 2008

Translated from Ezgulik website

The relatives of Sanjar Umarov have contacted “Ezgulik,” the Uzbek society for human rights. Their petition states that he is being subjected to torture while being held in prison 64-47 near the city of Navoi. The petition also states that Sanjar Umarov, who was accused of crimes relating to theft of government property and official misconduct, has spent most of his time in correctional facility UYa 64-47 in isolation where he has been constantly oppressed and subjected to torture.

In an effort to clarify the situation, “Ezgulik” requested an investigation from the central office for correctional facilities and from the General Prosecutor of the Republic of Uzbekistan (letter dated April 4, 2007, No. 18). An answer was received from the prosecutor of Novoi oblast, B.I. Norov (letter dated April 24, 2007, No. 17.49.07). This letter states that due to violation of local internal prison regulations, beginning on May 25, 2006, Sanjar Umarov was placed in isolation “a few times.”

With the aim of objectively studying S. Umarov’s situation and providing him legal representation, activists of “Ezgulik” hired Rustam Rakhmatullayev, a member of the lawyer’s guild from the Shaikhontokhursk region. The activists and the lawyer then arranged a trip to the correctional facility (such trips have been previously organized for human rights activists such as Dilmurod Mukhiddinov, Mamarazhab Nazarov, Azam Farmonov, A. Karomatov and Ulugbek Kattabekov).

According to Vasila Inoyatova, who participated in the trip, its goal at UYa 64-47 was to determine the general health of Sanjar Umarov and to find out exactly why he was being tortured. Also, the laws concerning amnesty and how they applied to S. Umarov were discussed. The treatment of S. Umarov was also discussed in relation to the annual speech made to a UN committee on torture by the Uzbek Minister of Internal Affairs, Alisher Sharofutdinov, in which he reported that “the case of Sanjar Umarov and others will be reviewed and looked at from a humanitarian point of view.”

According to the prison’s director, a colonel Abdullayev, Sanjar Umarov stated that he did not want to meet with V. Inoyatova, the chairman of Ezgulik, or with a lawyer, and that he did not need any legal representation and he did not wish to see anybody. It was as if S. Umarov categorically refused their offer to protect him and did not want them ever to return to the prison. The activists of Ezgulik waited at the prison gate for more than three hours for a response to their inquiry. However, the prison administration supplied nothing more than what is mentioned above. Actually, recently, during a meeting of Sanjar Umarov with his son, Arslan Umarov, he was informed that members of Ezgulik were planning on visiting him in prison and that his case was being reviewed by a lawyer. And most importantly, Sanjar Umarov was ready for a meeting with them.

Lawyer R. Rakhmatullayev confirmed that in all his years of legal practice, this is the first time that he had a legal lawyer’s order but was not allowed to see the prisoner. The administration of the prison has allowed violations of rights to legal defense which are spelled out in Uzbekistan’s constitution, its criminal code, and in documents of the Supreme Court. The prisoner’s rights to a legal defense have been violated.

From the above one can make the following conclusion: these actions by the administration of prison UYa 64-47 show at least that Sanjar Umarov’s condition is serious and that he is being subjected to torture. That fact that no amnesty has been provided for him and that he has not been allowed to see his close relatives, proves that the prison is trying to hide the real situation concerning S. Umarov’s condition and that laws are being broken, and that he is being singled out as explained above.

At a time when Uzbekistan is again becoming closer to the European Union, and the world is looking more closely at Uzbekistan, one can say convincingly that such actions and relationships toward human rights activists and representatives of society can no longer be kept hidden.

The Ezgulik activists and their lawyer immediately reported the results of their prison visit to the General Prosecutor of Uzbekistan and to the directorate of prisons under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. They also informed international organizations and representatives of the diplomatic corps. The general public was also informed. Since so many laws and regulations of the criminal code, the legal codex and national and international legislation were violated, Ezgulik filed their report in the form of a protest.

Considering the high interest level of the general public, Ezgulik believes that the General Prosecutor of Uzbekistan must immediately provide feedback to this question. The public calls on the administration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to review the misconduct and illegal activities by colonel Abdullayev at prison UYa 64-47.

Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan “Ezgulik”

SOURCE:Ezgulik

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