ALN has written a statement protesting the continued arbitrary detention of Dauletmurat Tajimuratov two years after his call for peaceful protests in Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan. 

You can read the full statement below and a pdf version here.  

ALN Protests the Continued Arbitrary Detention of Dauletmurat Tajimuratov

5 July 2024

July 2, 2024 marks the second anniversary of the start of the arbitrary detention of the lawyer, activist, and former newspaper editor Dauletmurat Tajimuratov by Uzbekistan authorities following his advocacy and call for protests against proposed constitutional amendments to end the autonomous status and right to secede of Karakalpakstan, an autonomous region in West Uzbekistan. Tajimuratov was later convicted to a 16 year sentence which he is currently serving, and there are reports that he has suffered inhuman conditions and ill-treatment during his incarceration.

As an activist, lawyer, and editor of the newspaper "El Hyzmetinde"("In the service of the people") based in Nukus, the capital of Karakalpakstan, Tajimuratov had long advocated for the rights of the Karakalpak national minority in Uzbekistan, as well as raised criticism against government corruption, such as of criticism in November 2021 of the involvement in a corruption case by the judge, Yelubay Abibullayev, that later convicted him.[1]

The Republic of Karakalpakstan is an autonomous republic of Uzbekistan encompassing about one third of its territory in the northwest and is home to over 700,000 Karakalpak people, a Turkic ethnic sub-group linguistically closer to Kazakhs than Uzbeks making up about 5% of Uzbekistan’s population. Despite nominal autonomy, its own legislature and courts, and some linguistic and cultural rights such as a bilingual government and media, the region is still largely under the de facto political control of the national legislature in Tashkent. While the constitution allows an independence referendum, a referendum has not taken place yet. However there exists a minority pro-independence party and movement that also focuses on ending and preventing discrimination against ethnic Karakalpaks.

The current issue began with the announcement by Uzbekistan’s President Mr. Shavkat Mirziyoyev on 26 June 2022 of a series of proposed constitutional amendments that included the removal of the autonomous status of the Republic of Karakalpakstan and its right to secede.[2] The proposal provoked significant criticism by bloggers, journalists, and activists, some of whom were later arbitrarily detained including Kural Rametov, Lalagul Kallykhanova and Dauletmurat Tazhimuratov, and crowds began gathering in Nukus and other towns in Karakalpakstan to protest.[3] On the same day, the government also shut down internet access to the region evidently to limit the negative response.[4]

On 30 June 2022, Tajimuratov publicly announced plans for mass protest in front of the Parliament building in Nukus against the amendments on 5 July 2022.[5] On the morning of 1 July 2022, despite receiving sanction for the protest by the Chairman of the Parliament of the Republic of Karakalpakstan,[6] Tajimuratov and his nephew were taken by authorities and detained, provoking mass numbers of people to begin protesting in the streets in Nukus over the next two days. Tajimuratov was released several hours later and spoke to the demonstrators that evening in a message that was videotaped where he spoke about his mistreatment during his detention and criticized the police for using excessive force against protestors. As the protests continued, authorities used reported disproportionate force to disperse the protestors including water cannon, rubber bullets and smoke bombs.

Later that evening or the early morning of the next day, July 2, it was reported that Tajimuratov was again taken and detained by the Uzbek National Security Service (along with his wife, daughter, and two brothers), after which he was held incommunicado until August when the family was reportedly informed of his pretrial detention in a National Security Service detention centre No.11 in Urgench (the information was released publicly on September 6), after which he was formally arrested, tried, sentenced, and remains incarcerated today.[7] Tajimuraov’s wife and daughter were quickly released, but the two brothers remained detained under administrative arrest for seven and 15 days respectively, and reported being held in overcrowded cells, beaten including in the genital area, denied access to adequate food, and one was hospitalized with heart problems following his release.[8] Their ill-treatment appears to be a retaliatory measure against Tajimuratov.

The protests and police crackdown continued over July 2. It was reported from information provided by Uzbek authorities that 21 protestors were killed,[9] 243 injured (including 38 police officers), and about 500 people detained by police during the crackdown and period immediately following.[10]

After the protests were ended, on July 2 President Mirziyoyev announced the withdrawal of the amendments, while also declaring a one-month state of emergency in Karakalpakstan, and the authorities blamed “external forces” for provoking unrest.[11] Authorities also detained a number of activists and journalists, including Amantay Seyitmuratov, Konyratbay Redjepov, Sadatdin Raymov and Mels Raymov.[12] Ultimately, at least 28 other protestors were also prosecuted and convicted to sentences between five to 11 years in prison.[13]

On July 8, a criminal investigation was opened by the Prosecutor General’s office against Tajimuratov and 13 others,[14] which culminated with Tajimuratov’s arrest on charges of “infringing on the constitutional order”. The first hearing for Tajimuratov’s trial was at the Bukhara Regional Criminal Court on 28 November 2022 for six charges under the criminal code: intentional grievous bodily harm, conspiracy to seize power or overthrow the constitutional order, theft by embezzlement or misappropriation at a large scale, legalisation of proceeds of criminal activity, organisation of mass riots accompanied by violence, and preparation and dissemination of materials containing threat to public security and public order.[15] The penalties for the offenses extend up to 8 to 15 years in prison per charge.

The trial for Tajimuratov and 21 other defendants linked to the July protests stretched over January 2023 in the Bukhara Regional Court. During the trial, Tajimuratov was the lead defendant and was described as the leader of the July protests, and Tajimuratov testified that he was beaten on multiple occasions by law enforcement in the early days of his detention.[16] He was also the only defendant that refused to plead guilty. The court’s judgment was rendered on 31 January 2023, with Tajimuratov found guilty of five offenses (conspiracy, organizing mass riots, theft, laundering, and harboring unsafe materials) for which he received harshest sentence of the defendants, 16 years imprisonment and a fine of 228.8 million soums (more than 20 thousand dollars).[17] The 21 other defendants were also all found guilty and received lighter sentences, with some being released under conditional suspended sentences. One of them, Polat Shamshetov, however reportedly died in custody days after being sentenced to six years in prison.[18] The convictions and sentences of Tajimuratov and the others were widely criticized by international civil society as arbitrary and a reprisal for their rights work and calls for or participation in peaceful protest.[19]

In February 2023, the General Prosecutor’s Office announced that three police officers were arrested for excessive force during the July 2022 protests after their investigation, but no updates were later given about their status or if they were actually prosecuted and convicted, raising concerns that no police were held accountable for the excessive force.[20] On 6 April 2023, Tajimuratov was transferred to a prison in Zangiota region and he was visited by his lawyer, Sergei Mayorov, on 18 April 2023. Following his visit, Mayorov released a video message calling Tajimuratov a political prisoner, and he decried the “unbearable” mental and physical abuses which Tajimuratov had suffered while in detention, including being tied up and beaten during his transport to the Supreme Court for preparation of his appeal and in his cell for refusing to take illegal actions, being subjected to mistreatment by officials and forced harassment from other detainees, and his cell having poor and filthy conditions without him being given cleaning utensils.[21] The general conditions of prisons in Uzbekistan have also been criticized with prisoners being subjected to overcrowdedness, endemic tuberculosis and hepatitis, widespread torture and ill-treatment in pre-trial facilities, and extensions of prison terms due to arbitrary charges of minor disciplinary violations.[22]

The decision of the Supreme Court on the appeal of Tajimuratov and the other Karakalpak protestors was rendered on 5 June 2023.[23] Tajimuratov’s conviction was upheld, and he was reportedly the only person that did not have his sentence changed by the decision. He continued his full sentence with the first two years in prison until 5 July 2024, with the remaining years in a high-security penal colony in Navoi. On 28 November 2023, Tajimuratov’s lawyer Mayorov visited him in prison and later reported that Tajimuratov continued to face ill-treatment by prison administration including a denial of medical aid and poor prison conditions, and he was not given bed linens until 20 October 2023. He also reported that Tajimuratov is being subjected to stricter conditions of imprisonment corresponding to a more serious crime than those for which he was convicted, contrary to Uzbekistani law, including an inability to send or receive correspondence. Tajimuratov is required to thank prison officials when he is brought food and to sing at least four versus of the Uzbekistan’s national anthem on the punishment of solitary confinement and stricter condition if he objects; and he has been frequently subjected to solitary confinement. On 7 January 2024, Mayorov reported that he himself had also been subject to harassment after his messenger account was hacked, contravening legal privilege and lawyer inviolability and threatening the security of all of his clients.[24]

On 27 March 2024, Tajimuratov celebrated 45th birthday in prison as his arbitrary sentence and poor treatment and conditions of detention continue.[25] It was reported that Tajimuratov was beaten by a prison guard while four others held him down on 27 June 2024, the day before a family visit,[26] and as mentioned at the start of this statement, 2 July 2024 marks the second year of Tajimuratov’s arbitrary detention. On 5 July 2024, Tajimuratov is due to be transferred from prison to a prison colony with less strict rules and more opportunities for family visits.[27] However, his continued detention remains arbitrary and unjustified, and he still remains at risk of further abuses.

ALN protests the arbitrary detention of Dauletmurat Tajimuratov and calls on Uzbekistan authorities to immediately release him, to take measures to protect the civil and political rights of Karakalpak activists to express their views and organize demonstrations without punishment, and to end and take measures to prevent the harassment of lawyers.

__________

[1] FIDH, "Uzbekistan: Opening of the trial against Dauletmurat Tajimuratov", 2 Dec. 2022, https://www.fidh.org/en/issues/human-rights-defenders/uzbekistan-opening-of-the-trial-against-dauletmurat-tajimuratov.

[2]  OMCT, "Uzbekistan: Police violence leaves dozens of protesters killed and injured", 12 July 2022, https://www.omct.org/en/resources/statements/uzbekistan-police-violence-leads-to-dozens-of-protesters-killed-and-injured.

[3] Id.

[4] OMCT, "Uzbekistan: Police violence leads to dozens of protesters killed and injured", 8 July 2022, https://www.omct.org/site-resources/legacy/Uzbekistan_joint-statement-IPHR-OMCT-AHRCA-July-2022.pdf.

[5] OMCT, "Uzbekistan: Abduction of Dauletmurat Tajimuratov and his relatives", 28 July 2022, https://www.omct.org/en/resources/urgent-interventions/uzbekistan-abduction-of-dauletmurat-tajimuratov-and-his-relatives. The remaining paragraph uses this source.

[6] Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders OHCHR, "Uzbekistan: sentencing of human rights defender Dauletmurat Tajimuratov to 16 years in prison (joint communication)", 2 Oct. 2023, https://srdefenders.org/uzbekistan-sentencing-of-human-rights-defender-dauletmurat-tajimuratov-to-16-years-in-prison-joint-communication/.

[7] FIDH, “Uzbekistan: Opening of the trial against Dauletmurat Tajimuratov", 2 Dec. 2022, https://www.fidh.org/en/issues/human-rights-defenders/uzbekistan-opening-of-the-trial-against-dauletmurat-tajimuratov.

[8] Id.

[9] These include Sabir Bakirov, Bayram Kalimbetov, Azamat Kurbanov, Muratbek Pirnazarov, Sultan Yesemuratov.

[10] OMCT, supra, note 4.

[11] Id.

[12] OMCT, supra, note 2.

[13] RFE/RL, "Another Group Of Karakalpak Activists Handed Prison Terms In Uzbekistan Over Protests In 2022", 17 Mar. 2023, https://www.rferl.org/a/uzbekistan-karakalpak-activists-prison-protests/32322716.html.

[14] OMCT, supra, note 4.

[15] FIDA, supra, note 1.

[16] Eurasianet, "Uzbekistan: Supporters of imprisoned Karakalpak activist claim abuse", 20 Apr. 2023, https://eurasianet.org/uzbekistan-supporters-of-imprisoned-karakalpak-activist-claim-abuse.

[17] HRW, "Uzbekistan: 16-Year Sentence in Autonomous Region Protests", 31 Jan. 2023, https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/01/31/uzbekistan-16-year-sentence-autonomous-region-protests.

[18] RFE/RL, "Lawyer Calls On Uzbek President To Stop 'Torturing Political Prisoner' Tajimuratov", 20 Apr. 2023, https://www.rferl.org/a/uzbekistan-tajimuratov-torture-karakalpakstan/32372321.html.

[19] Front Line Defenders, "Human rights defender Dauletmurat Tajimuratov subjected to ill-treatment in prison", https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/human-rights-defender-dauletmurat-tajimuratov-subjected-ill-treatment-prison.

[20] Eurasianet, supra, note 16.

[21] Id.

[22] Front Line Defenders, supra, note 19.

[23] Id. This source is used for the rest of this paragraph.

[24] Freedom for Eurasia, "Karakalpakstan: Human Rights Attorney Sergei Mayorov’s messengers were hacked", 7 Jan. 2024, https://freedomeurasia.org/karakalpakstan-human-rights-attorney-sergei-mayorovs-messengers-were-hacked/.

[25] Freedom for Eurasia, "Karakalpak lawyer Dauletmurat Tajimuratov celebrates 45 birthday behind bars", 29 Mar. 2024, https://freedomforeurasia.org/karakalpak-lawyer-dauletmurat-tajimuratov-celebrates-45-birthday-behind-bars/.

[26] Freedom for Eurasia, "Dauletmurat Tajimuratov continues to suffer torture and threats in prison", 1 July 2024, https://freedomforeurasia.org/dauletmurat-tajimuratov-continues-to-suffer-torture-and-threats-in-prison/.

[27] Id.