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Bekjan, Aygul

See: Bekjanov, Muhammad
Gender: .
State of concern: .

Who, Why and How exiled:

Bekjan is the daughter of imprisoned journalist and opposition activist Muhammed Bekjanov, the former editor of the opposition newspaper “Erk” (Reuters, 2017). She fled with her family to the Ukraine from Uzbekistan after the family was harassed by state authorities (Press Uncuffed, 2017). After her father to 15 years, she moved with her family to the U.S (Fergana News, 2014).

Category of exile: . (Definitions here.)
Alleged affiliation: Relative of a political exile.

Daughter of the journalist Muhammad Bekjanov.


Which stages experienced: Stage 1   not Stage 2   not Stage 3. (Definitions here.)
Date of most serious incident: 1999.
Violence experienced: .

Stage 1 details (accusations/ charges/ Interpol notice/ extradition requests):

She fled with her family to the Ukraine from Uzbekistan after the family was harassed and received threats because of her father’s work (Press Uncuffed, 2017).

Other actions during Stages 1–3 (dispossession/ overseas assets frozen/ intimidation/ action against associates/ …):

Bekjan has been refused a visa several times to visit Uzbekistan to see her father, who she has not seen since his extradition from the Ukraine (Fergana News, 2014).

International arrest warrant: .

Countries of transit, asylum and/or residence: , .

Legal status (refugee/ asylum seeker/ resident):

Bekjan has American citizenship (Fergana News, 2014).

Current status:

Bekjan continues to reside in the United States while her father was released from prison in Uzbekistan in 2017 (Press Uncuffed, 2017). In July 2018 the family was reunited in Spokane, US. (The Spokesman Review, July 2018)

Acquired citizenship: .

Press sources:

Fergana News. (2014). "Until the Very End": Human Rights Watch Issues Report on Political Prisoners in Uzbekistan. Available: http://enews.fergananews.com/articles/2888. Last accessed 18th April 2018.

Press Uncuffed. (2017). 18 Years Without a Father. Available: http://pressuncuffed.org/2017/04/19/18-years-without-a-father. Last accessed 18th April 2018.

Reuters. (2017). Uzbek Dissident Released After 18 Years in Prison .Available: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-uzbekistan-dissident/uzbek-dissident-released-after-18-years-in-prison-idUSKBN1611E9?il=0. Last accessed 18th April 2018.

The Spokesman Review, July 2018 ‘After 18 Years’ Imprisonment, Uzbek Journalist Reunited with Family in Spokane | The Spokesman-Review’ <http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2018/jul/23/after-18-years-imprisonment-uzbek-journalist-reuni/> accessed 24 March 2019