Rights groups have condemned Thursday's court decision to sentence Fatima Mukhadirova to six years in prison for alleged extremist activities. Mukhadirova is the elderly mother of a man who died in prison allegedly after he was immersed in boiling water.
"The case against Fatima Mukhadirova has been fabricated," Surat Ikramov, head of the Independent Initiative Group of Human Rights Activists of Uzbekistan, told IRIN from the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, citing her efforts to bring about an independent inquiry into the death of her son. "The authorities have decided to muzzle her."
Vasilya Inoyatova, head of Ezgulik, another local human rights group agreed, noted the woman's persistent efforts to bring law enforcement officials involved in the death of her son to justice.
"By arresting Mukadirova, the authorities show that they can do whatever they want despite pressure from the international community," she told IRIN from Tashkent. "In doing so they wanted to teach a lesson to others as well." In short, if you demand accountability for law-enforcement bodies or government officials you will face the same end, she maintained.
Maisy Weicherdi, a Central Asia researcher for Amnesty International (AI) in London concurred, saying it looked like she was being punished for bringing international attention to the case. "She just asked for an independent investigation into the death of her son, something which she is legitimately entitled to," she told IRIN.
But another activist interviewed by IRIN believed the court's ruling might be legal. "We are against the decision to imprison her and disagree with that. They could have chosen some other methods of punishment," Mikhail Ardzinov, head of the Independent Human Rights Organisation of Uzbekistan, a local rights group, maintained. He added, however, that she had been adhering to the principles and ideas of Hizb-ut Tahrir, an extremist party that had been banned in the Central Asia's most populous state, hinting that the court's decision was legal, though arguably unjust.
Their comments follow Thursday morning's court ruling in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, sentencing the 63-year-old mother of Muzafar Avazov, who died in August 2002 during his incarceration at the isolated Jaslyk prison, a facility well known for its harsh conditions and ill treatment and torture of religious prisoners.
In a statement by Human Rights Watch (HRW), the 35-year-old religious prisoner and father of four showed signs of extensive burns, injuries doctor contend could only have resulted from immersing Avazov in boiling water, a claim that has horrified local and international rights groups alike.
In addition to suffering from sixty to seventy percent burns on his body, there was a large, bloody wound on the back of the head, heavy bruising on the forehead and side of the neck, and his hands had no fingernails, the watchdog group said, drawing much criticism to the country's human rights record.
However, according to Uzbek officials, Avazov suffered from heart disease and died after a fight with cell mates who threw scalding tea on him, a contention his mother has refused to believe, as do many international observers.
In August 2003, on the anniversary of her son's death, Mukhadirova began to appeal to local law enforcement agencies, along with international organisations, and the UK embassy, for assistance in the investigation - a move which brought not just her case, but the country's entire rights record to international attention.
Then on 4 September 2003, police searched her home without a warrant, and claimed to have found religious literature, and charged her with the preparation or distribution of literature that endangers the social order of the Uzbek state along with membership of an illegal religious, extremist, separatist or fundamentalist group.
Released on bail, police again searched her home on 19 October, again claiming to find religious literature. Arrested at a local market the same day, she has been in police custody since.
Mukhadirova's trial began in January, but was repeatedly delayed due to the failure of witnesses from the police department to appear in court. During trial proceedings on 9 and 11 February, many observers from international rights groups, observers and members of the press, were denied access to the court room on the grounds that there had not been enough space.
And while Thursday's verdict was scheduled to be read between 9:30 and 10, the verdict was read out at 9:10 am before either her lawyer or observers had a chance to arrive, one activist who declined to be identified, told IRIN from Tashkent.
According to a BBC report the same day, shortly afterwards Mukhadirova was taken away in an armoured van, looking pale and drawn, adding, her surviving children, most of them crying, called out their goodbyes and handed the police food to take to jail for her.
"The case against Fatima Mukhadirova has been fabricated," Surat Ikramov, head of the Independent Initiative Group of Human Rights Activists of Uzbekistan, told IRIN from the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, citing her efforts to bring about an independent inquiry into the death of her son. "The authorities have decided to muzzle her."
Vasilya Inoyatova, head of Ezgulik, another local human rights group agreed, noted the woman's persistent efforts to bring law enforcement officials involved in the death of her son to justice.
"By arresting Mukadirova, the authorities show that they can do whatever they want despite pressure from the international community," she told IRIN from Tashkent. "In doing so they wanted to teach a lesson to others as well." In short, if you demand accountability for law-enforcement bodies or government officials you will face the same end, she maintained.
Maisy Weicherdi, a Central Asia researcher for Amnesty International (AI) in London concurred, saying it looked like she was being punished for bringing international attention to the case. "She just asked for an independent investigation into the death of her son, something which she is legitimately entitled to," she told IRIN.
But another activist interviewed by IRIN believed the court's ruling might be legal. "We are against the decision to imprison her and disagree with that. They could have chosen some other methods of punishment," Mikhail Ardzinov, head of the Independent Human Rights Organisation of Uzbekistan, a local rights group, maintained. He added, however, that she had been adhering to the principles and ideas of Hizb-ut Tahrir, an extremist party that had been banned in the Central Asia's most populous state, hinting that the court's decision was legal, though arguably unjust.
Their comments follow Thursday morning's court ruling in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, sentencing the 63-year-old mother of Muzafar Avazov, who died in August 2002 during his incarceration at the isolated Jaslyk prison, a facility well known for its harsh conditions and ill treatment and torture of religious prisoners.
In a statement by Human Rights Watch (HRW), the 35-year-old religious prisoner and father of four showed signs of extensive burns, injuries doctor contend could only have resulted from immersing Avazov in boiling water, a claim that has horrified local and international rights groups alike.
In addition to suffering from sixty to seventy percent burns on his body, there was a large, bloody wound on the back of the head, heavy bruising on the forehead and side of the neck, and his hands had no fingernails, the watchdog group said, drawing much criticism to the country's human rights record.
However, according to Uzbek officials, Avazov suffered from heart disease and died after a fight with cell mates who threw scalding tea on him, a contention his mother has refused to believe, as do many international observers.
In August 2003, on the anniversary of her son's death, Mukhadirova began to appeal to local law enforcement agencies, along with international organisations, and the UK embassy, for assistance in the investigation - a move which brought not just her case, but the country's entire rights record to international attention.
Then on 4 September 2003, police searched her home without a warrant, and claimed to have found religious literature, and charged her with the preparation or distribution of literature that endangers the social order of the Uzbek state along with membership of an illegal religious, extremist, separatist or fundamentalist group.
Released on bail, police again searched her home on 19 October, again claiming to find religious literature. Arrested at a local market the same day, she has been in police custody since.
Mukhadirova's trial began in January, but was repeatedly delayed due to the failure of witnesses from the police department to appear in court. During trial proceedings on 9 and 11 February, many observers from international rights groups, observers and members of the press, were denied access to the court room on the grounds that there had not been enough space.
And while Thursday's verdict was scheduled to be read between 9:30 and 10, the verdict was read out at 9:10 am before either her lawyer or observers had a chance to arrive, one activist who declined to be identified, told IRIN from Tashkent.
According to a BBC report the same day, shortly afterwards Mukhadirova was taken away in an armoured van, looking pale and drawn, adding, her surviving children, most of them crying, called out their goodbyes and handed the police food to take to jail for her.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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