Case History: Uktam Pardayev
On 11 January 2016, the court of Djizak city released human rights defender Uktam Pardayev under amnesty, after a decision taken by the Upper Chamber of Parliament earlier in December.
On 16 November 2015, the premises of human rights defender Uktam Pardayev were searched, his documents and electronic equipment were seized and he was arrested. He was arrested and he was later charged with insult, fraud and extortion following an accusation by a third party.
Uktam Pardayev is chairperson of the Independent Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan (IHRSU) in the region of Djizak. He provides free legal counselling and is involved in monitoring the use of forced labour in cotton fields.
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- 12 January 2016 : Release of human rights defender Uktam Pardayev
- 18 November 2015 : Arrest of human rights defender Uktam Pardayev
- 2 October 2012 : Arrest of human rights defender Uktam Pardayev
- 20 September 2012 : Ongoing harassment of human rights defender Uktam Pardayev
- 10 May 2012 : Human rights defenders Mr Uktam Pardayev and Mr Mamir Azimov denied exit visas
On 11 January 2016, the court of Djizak city released human rights defender Uktam Pardayev under amnesty, after a decision taken by the Upper Chamber of Parliament earlier in December.
Reportedly, the human rights defender was warned against the continuation of his human rights work.
On 16 November 2015, the premises of human rights defender Uktam Pardayev were searched, his documents and electronic equipment were seized and he was arrested. He was arrested and he was later charged with insult, fraud and extortion following an accusation by a third party.
Front Line Defenders welcomes the release of Uktam Pardayev, but the organisation remains concerned at the ongoing repression and judicial harassment of human rights defenders in Uzbekistan.
On 16 November the premises of human rights defender Uktam Pardayev were searched and his documents and electronic equipment were seized. He was arrested and is currently facing charges of extortion following an accusation by a third party.
On 16 November 2015 at approximatively 6.30 am a police officer conducted a search at the home of Mr Uktam Pardayev. The legal grounds for this search remains unknown. His electronic equipment, including computer and camera, and work documents were seized. He was arrested and brought to Dustlik district police department of Djizak region. Uktam Pardayev asked for a legal adviser but it is unclear if this demand was satisfied.
Later the same day, the brother of Uktam Pardayev declared that Uktam Pardayevhad been accused of having extorted 500,000 Uzbekistani Som (170 Euro) from a farmer two years ago. If found guilty he could face up to five years imprisonment for this crime which falls under article 165 of the Penal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
On 9 October 2015, Uktam Pardayev attended a hearing at Djizak city court, following his complaint about the refusal to issue him an exit visa. During the hearing, he learnt that the refusal had been motivated by the fact that he works for IHRSU, however in his application he wrote that he is not employed. Uktam Pardayev argued that his human rights work is pro-bono and should not be considered as employment. The next hearing took place on 12 October 2015 but no representative of the Immigration Office attended. The judge decided to close the case and advised Uktam Pardaev to address the Ministry of Internal Affairs directly. On 28 October 2015 the human rights defender sent a request to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Before his arrest Uktam Pardayev told his colleague that he suspects police officers prepared the case against him. He reported in particular how a client came to him seeking legal advice, insisting on his participation in her case. He later he saw her in a police car talking with police officers.
On 30 September 2012, at approximately 10:00 am, human rights defender Mr Uktam Pardayev was beaten and arrested at a service station in the town of Djizak by several armed policemen.
Since his arrest, relatives of the human rights defender have been denied any information regarding his situation or whereabouts. Uktam Pardayev is the Chairperson of the '''Independent Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan (IHRSU)''' in the region of Djizak.
On 30 September Uktam Pardayev entered a service station on Tashkentskaya street in the town of Djizak, in his car, when three policemen who were present suddenly ordered that the station be closed and told the human rights defender not to move. They refused to explain to Uktam Pardayev the reason for this order, and additional police officers were called in. Minutes later, four more uniformed policemen arrived in a second car, after which Uktam Pardayev was beaten, forced into a white Zhiguli car and driven off in an unknown direction.
Since the time of his arrest, Uktam Pardayev's relatives have been refused information about the human rights defender's whereabouts. They have visited the city police stations, the local office of the Department of Interior Affairs, and the national security office. Uktam Pardayev's brother handed out written requests to inform them about his brother's whereabouts, which was accepted by the Department of Interior Affairs, but refused by the national security office.
Calls by Uktam Pardayev's relatives to police officers have not been answered. Only at midnight on 1 October was Uktam Pardayev's brother able to connect with the district policeman of Khandzor district, who told him not to bother and that nothing bad was going to happen to the human rights defender. Front Line Defenders tried to talk to the same policeman, but after hearing the name Uktam Pardayev, the policeman hung the phone. In a phone call to the Djizak prosecutor's office, the prosecutor's assistant answered that they would find out what is happening.
In mid-September 2012, Uktam Pardayev was followed by a white Daewoo Nexia car by persons in plainclothes. On 8 September, neighbours of the human rights defender were visited by officers from the Department of Internal Affairs and questioned about Uktam Pardeyev's movements and contacts. On 30 August, Uktam Pardayev's house was visited by police officers, who in a later phone call reported having been sent by the Department of Interior Affairs, and the human rights defender's mother was asked for his phone number.
Uktam Pardayev has previously indicated he believes these measures started after a visit to his house by officials from the American Embassy about his Human Rights work.
In addition to this, Uktam Pardayev has been continuously denied an exit visa since the start of his application in December 2011. During an interview for his application on 25 January 2012, he was questioned by an unnamed security official about the type of human rights activities he was involved in. On 11 June 2012, the Djizak Inter-District Court refused to consider Uktam Pardayev's appeal against the denial of his visa application on the ground that it was outside of the court's jurisdiction. On 29 August 2012, the Regional Court of Djizak, overruled the decision of the court of first instance and sent the appeal back to be heard by the court.
Human rights defender Mr Uktam Pardayev has reported being subjected to constant harassment in recent weeks after he was visited at his home by representatives of the American Embassy in Uzbekistan.
In mid-September 2012, Uktam Pardayev, Chairperson of the Independent Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan (IHRSU) in the region of Djizak, was followed by a white Daewoo Nexia car, the licence plate of which is known to Front Line Defenders, driven by persons in plain clothes. The human rights defender pulled into a yard when he noticed he was being followed, and he saw the people who were following him stop and look for him before driving away.
On 8 September 2012, Uktam Pardayev's neighbours were visited by officers from the Djizak Department of Interior Affairs and questioned about the human rights defender's activities, including questions on who he meets and where he goes. Previously, on 30 August, two Djizak police officers went to Uktam Pardayev's home and asked for his phone number from his mother. The human rights defender was not home at the time. When Uktam Pardayev called the police officers back, he was told that they had been instructed to visit him by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Uktam Pardayev believes that these measures began after he was visited at his home by representatives of the American Embassy in Uzbekistan in the context of his human rights activities.
In addition to this, the human rights defender cannot obtain an exit visa, for which he applied at the end of last year. On 11 June 2012, the Djizak Inter-District Court refused to consider Uktam Pardayev's appeal against the denial of his visa application on the ground that it was outside of the court's jurisdiction. On 29 August 2012, the Regional Court of Djizak, overruled the decision of the court of first instance and sent the appeal back to be heard by the court.
Uktam Pardayev and Mamir Azimov had both applied to the Otdel Viz I Registratsii (OVIR- Department of Visa and Registration) for exit visas as per state requirements for all citizens of Uzbekistan who wish to leave the country. Uktam Pardayev applied for an exit visa in December 2011 in order to travel to Germany. When he did not receive an answer to his application, he contacted the City and Regional Prosecutor's Offices and the Department of Interior Affairs in Djizak. On 25 January 2012, the City Prosecutor's office responded and Uktam Pardayev was subsequently interviewed by an unnamed National Security Service Officer at OVIR, who asked the defender about the type of human rights activities he was involved in.
On 7 February 2012, Utkan Pardayev received a letter from the Director of Djizak OVIR, stating that his request was temporarily denied. On 18 March 2012, the City Prosecutor's office sent a letter to Uktam Pardayev confirming the OVIR's decision and advising him to apply to the upper authorities should he wish to appeal the decision. An explanation behind the denial of an exit visa was not outlined in the letter. Mamir Azimov applied for an exit visa on 18 February 2012 in order to travel to Turkey. He received a letter from the Djizak OVIR on 29 March 2012, which stated that his application was being considered and that an exit visa from Uzbekistan was temporarily denied.
