Bekjon, Safar
Who, Why and How exiled: In early 1990, Bekjon (or Bekzhanov) was an activist with the outlawed political parties Erk (Freedom) and Birlik (Fergana News, 2013; Amnesty International, 1997). In 2013, he was one of the activists who ‘broke’ into Gulnara Karimova’s residence in Geneva and uncovered items allegedly taken from the Uzbek national museum (Fergana News, 2013). He is currently the head of the civil society organisation 'Uzdem Fund Suisse' in Switzerland (Amnesty International, 1997).
Stage 2 details (arrest/ detention/ extradition): In 1993 Bekjon had been charged with fraud, which, as his supporters claimed, had been fabricated for political reasons (Amnesty International, 1997).
Stage 3 details (attack/ abduction/ rendition/ torture/ assassination/ death): He has been imprisoned in 1993 for four years (Amnesty International, 1997; Fergana News, 2013).
Other actions during Stages 1–3 (dispossession/ overseas assets frozen/ intimidation/ action against associates/ …): He has been imprisoned in 1993 for four years (Amnesty International, 1997; Fergana News, 2013). He alleges that he had been tortured throughout his imprisonment (Amnesty International, 1997)
Legal status (refugee/ asylum seeker/ resident): In 1997 he has been released under the May amnesty (Amnesty International, 1997). He fled to Switzerland in 1998 where he has received political exile (Fergana News, 2013). In 2018 Bekjon learned from the Uzbek consulate of Berlin that he had been deprived of his Uzbek citizenship as of 17 March 2018. There has been given no explanation why this has been done. Above all, Bekjon is not in possession of any other citizenship, only the confirmed refugee status of the UN (Radio Ozodlik, November 2018).
Current status: He is currently living in Lausanne, Switzerland (Radio Ozodlik, November 2018).
Press sources: Fergana News, 2013. 'Сафар Бекжан: «Мы хотим заставить узбекских чиновников и олигархов вернуть деньги народу Узбекистана»'. December 24, 2013. [Online]. Available at :http://www.fergananews.com/articles/7991 Amnesty International, 1997. 'Amnesty International Report 1997 - Uzbekistan'. January 1. 1997, [Online]. Available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6a9fd10.html Radio Ozodlik, November 2018, ‘Диссидент Сафар Бекжан недавно узнал, что год назад был лишен узбекского гражданства’ (Радио Озодлик) <https://rus.ozodlik.org/a/29597412.html> accessed 24 March 2019