The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Uzbekistan.
Brief description of the situation:
According to the information received, on September 12, 2008, Karakalpakstan’s Tahtakupir District court started the trial of Mr. Salijon Abdurahmanov for "selling drugs in large consignment" (Article 25-273, Part 5 of the Uzbek Criminal Code), in Nukus, the capital city of Karakalpakstan. Mr. Abdurahmanov faces up to 20 years of imprisonment.
On June 7, 2080, traffic police stopped Mr. Abdurahmanov’s car, allegedly to check his identity. They found 114.18 g of marijuana and 5.89 g of opium on the underside of his car. Mr. Abdurahmanov has always denied knowing about or having anything to do with the drugs, and asserted that the drugs had been planted in his car to sanction his journalistic and human rights activities.
On September 12, 2008, the hearing started in a little room and only Mr. Salijon Abdurahmanov’s relatives managed to be present. His lawyer said that the Prosecutor failed to provide a single piece of evidence to back up the charges. Two traffic officers, who had stopped Mr. Abdurahmanov’s car on June 7, 2008, testified during the hearing but the two police officers and sniffer dog specialist who had searched his car and found drugs were not present.
The trial will continue on September 18, 2008.
The Observatory expresses its deep concern about Mr. Salijon Abdurahmanov’s arbitrary detention and judicial harassment, as it seems to merely sanction his human rights activities, and calls upon the Uzbek authorities to release him immediately and unconditionally.
Action requested:
Please write to the Uzbek authorities and ask them to:
i. Take all necessary measures to guarantee, in all circumstances, the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Salijon Abdurahmanov as well as of all human rights defenders in Uzbekistan;
ii. Release immediately and unconditionally Mr. Salijon Abdurahmanov since his detention is arbitrary as it merely aims at sanctioning his human rights activities;
iii. Put an end to any act of harassment - including at the judicial level - against Mr. Salijon Abdurahmanov as well as against all human rights defenders in Uzbekistan;
iv. Comply with the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1998, in particular Article 1, which states that "everyone has the right, individually or collectively, to promote the protection and fulfilment of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels", as well as Article 12.2, which provides that "the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually or in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration";
v. Guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and other international human rights instruments ratified by Uzbekistan.
Addresses:
* Mr. Bahodir Matliubov, Minister of Internal Affairs, Ministerstvo vnutrennikh del RU; ul. Junus Rajabiy 1; Tashkent 700029, Uzbekistan. Fax: + 998 71 233 89 34; Email: mvd@mvd.uz, info@mvd.uz, secretariyat@mvd.uz
* Mr. Alisher Sharafutdinov, Deputy Prosecutor General, Prokuratura Respubliki Uzbekistan; ul. Gulyamova 66; Tashkent 700047, Uzbekistan. Fax: + 998 71 233 39 17/ 133 73 68; Email: prokuratura@lawyer.com
* Mr. Vladimir Norov, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministerstvo inostrannykh del RU; pl. Mustakillik, 5; Tashkent 700029, Uzbekistan. Fax: + 998 71 139 15 17
* Head of the Nukus City Department of Internal Affairs (police), Glave GOVD, Gorodskoi Otdel Vnutrennikh Del, ul. Biruni, g. Nukus, AR Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan.
* H.E Ms. Goulnora Karimova, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Mission of Uzbekistan to the United Nations in Geneva, International Centre Cointrin (ICC), Bloc G (7th Floor), Route de Pré-Bois 20, 1215 Geneva 15, Switzerland. Fax: +41 22 799 43 02. Email: uzbekistan@bluewin.ch
Please also write to the diplomatic representations of Uzbekistan in your respective countries.
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Geneva - Paris, September 16, 2008
Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of human rights defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:
Tel and fax FIDH: +33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 / 33 (0) 1 43 55 18 80
Tel and fax OMCT: + 41 (0) 22 809 49 39 / + 41 (0) 22 809 49 29
Email: Appeals@fidh-omct.org