Human Rights Information Center for Central Asia
"Memorial" Human Rights Centre

Uzbekistan: writer Emin Usman - a new victim of authorities’ repressive campaign

On February 28, 2001 in investigation cell of the Interior Ministry of Uzbekistan died a well-known writer, 56 year-old Emin Usman.

Usman, ethnic uigur, was born in 1945 in Kuldja city of Sintszyan-Uigur autonomy province of China. Being a child he together with his parents moved to Uzbekistan, where he got a Soviet citizenship (as of 1992 an Uzbek citizen). Graduated from the philological faculty of the Pedagogical Institute there, and got a membership of the Writers’ Unions of the USSR and of Uzbekistan. Author of over 20 works in Russian, Uzbek and Uigur languages. In Uzbekistan he is popular for his novels and stories as "Ewlkin", "Telba", "Tomir", "Mehri giyo", "Tilla chanok", "Kongul kuzi", etc., as well as his short stories, publicistic writings and translations. He was well respected by uigurs, not so long ago he headed the Centre of Uigurs’ Culture in Tashkent. He had three grown up children, used to keep contacts with his relatives in Eastern Turkestan (i.e. Sinstszyan).

Reportedly, a vehicle driven by Usman was detained by militia (police) about midday time on February 11, 2001, not far from his home located in kolkhoz (collective farm) named after Navoi of Tashkent district. Being arrested, Usman was immediately placed in a basement of Interior Ministry of Uzbekistan, which has (as well as a basement of GUVD, i.e. the city department of internal affairs) a reputation of a place of applying of brutal tortures. A lawyer Akhmadjon Sautov managed only once, or on the fifth day after the detention- to see his client.

Investigation officer of the Interior Ministry Abdumutal Zakrullaev told the lawyer, that Usman is incriminated by charge of Article 244-1 of Criminal Code of Uzbekistan (dissemination of documents threatening to the social security), and "later on will be brought also the other articles, including 159" (encroachment on the constitutional order).

According to Vasili Inoyatova, an activist of the Human Rights Society of Uzbeksitan, Usman who was fluent except in Uzbek, but also in Russian, Arab, Uigur and English, was suspected that he was regularly translating publications forbidden by Islamic party "Hizb-it-Tahrir". Although, uigur sources deny of his membership in this organization.

On February 28 relatives of the writer were informed of his alleged suicide. On March 1, about 4.30 a.m. law enforcement officers brought Usman’s corpse to his home. At the same time militia officers ranging from 50 to 60 persons surrounded the living district, thus blocking traffic and not allowing people to go the home of the lost, to wash and examine the body. According to a witness of one of the relatives, who somehow had a chance to look at the late, on aback side of a skull was a deep bleeding wound. According to other report, "the body was covered by numerous blue shadows and bruises", which testify of applying tortures on Usman during the investigations.

By a demand of militia, the funerals were held in a speedy manner at about 6.00 a.m. following strict measures of security. "Actually, Usman was buried by the militia themselves, - said an eyewitness. – During the burials, cemetery was cordoned off by militia and even by people dressed in civil. Friends and relatives were forbidden to be even on a far approach to a grave".

After the funerals, close relative of Usman were given a medical certificate, in which it was drawn that the reason for a death was "a cerebral tumour" (?!).

According to Mikhail Ardzinov, chair of the Independent organization for human rights of Uzbekistan, Usman was already for several years "in black list" of uzbek intelligence service for his religious beliefs and social activities among ethnic uigurs. Firstly, he was arrested and thrown in a basement of the Interior Ministry on February 22, 1999, i.e. during a wave of mass arrests that followed after terrorist actions in Tashkent. Then, only interceding for him of well-known Uzbek writers, including of the elderly Shukrullo, escaped him from a severe verdict. In August of 1999, Shankhantohurski district court of Tashkent city directed the case of Usman for further investigations, and in February, 2000 convicted to 3 years of imprisonment… by Article 177 of CC of Uzbeksitan (illegal currency transactions). In connection with amnesty, the writer was released from custody in the hall of the court.

Human rights groups of Tashkent are unanimous in their opinion, that Usman became a victim of the next wave of political repression. According to some data, for the last few years five members of the Union of writers of Uzbekistan were sentenced by fabricated charges for political motives.

It should be pointed out that the case of Usman is far from being the first case in Uzbekistan, when persons allegedly suspected in contacts with the party "Hizb-ut-Tahrir" were killed in detention because of appliance of cruel tortures towards them. Thus, an activist of "Hizb-ut-Tahrir" Farkhod Usmonov, the case of whom was also dealt by the Interior Ministry investigation officer Abdumutal Zakrullaev, died from tortures in June of 1999. Then the funerals of Farkhod Usmonov turned out into a mass manifestation against of Uzbek authorities. Unfortunately, the authorities refuse of doing investigations of this sort of incidents or cases. No any officers of the Interior Ministry or of the National Security Service of Uzbekistan, guilty of applying tortures towards political prisoners, have ever been brought to a responsibility or punished so far.

Vitali Ponomarev 14.03.2001