Hamidkariev [Khamidkariev], Mirsobir

Gender: .
State of concern: .

Who, Why and How exiled:

A film producer and businessman. Fled to Russia in 2010 after Uzbek authorities charged him with organising an Islamist terrorist group, Islam Jihadchilari (Amnesty International, 2015).

Category of exile: . (Definitions here.)
Alleged affiliation: Islam Jihadchilari.

Which stages experienced: Stage 1   Stage 2   Stage 3. (Definitions here.)
Date of most serious incident: 2014.
Violence experienced: .

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

Charged in 2010 with illegally establishing public associations or religious organisations and participating in religious extremist organisations. His lawyer claimed that these charges arose after being overheard expressing concern about the oppression of Islam in the country. The Uzbekistani authorities issued an extradition request in 2011, but the Russian authorities declared the request invalid in 2013 (they found that he could not have set up Islam Jihadchilari in 2009) (Amnesty International, 2015).

Stage 2 details (arrest/ detention/ extradition):

Although living in hiding in Moscow, Hamidkariev was abducted by two men in civilian clothes from a taxi on 9 June 2014. He was held in a basement for a day and subjected to repeated beatings. He was then handed over to Uzbek security forces at an airport in Moscow. He was later located in a pre-trial detention centre in Tashkent (Tashtiurma) (Amnesty International,  2015).

Stage 3 details (attack/ abduction/ rendition/ torture/ assassination/ death):

Whilst in Tashtiurma, Hamidkariev was subject to torture and ill-treatment for two months until he confessed to charges which his lawyer claims are fabricated. The officers knocked out seven of his teeth and broke two of his ribs (Amnesty International, 2015).

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

On the 26th of January, 2017, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg found  violations of articles 3 and 34 of the European Convention and sentenced Russia to a fine of 19.500€ (Озодлик, 2017).

 

 

International arrest warrant: .

Countries of transit, asylum and/or residence: .

Legal status (refugee/ asylum seeker/ resident):

Applied for asylum in Russia (unknown when) (Amnesty International, 2015).

Current status:

His confession was used at his trial and he has been imprisoned until 2022 (Amnesty International, 2015). He is currently serving his sentence in the region of Namangan in the prison of "Uigursay". 

 

 


Press sources:

Amnesty International, "Secrets and Lies: Forced Confessions under torture in Uzbekistan", London, 2015. [Online]. Available at : Available at: Available at: http://www.amnesty.ca/sites/amnesty/files/uzbekistan_torture_report_2015.pdf

Озодлик, "Европейский суд в Страсбурге приговорил Россию к штрафу за выдачу беженца правительству Узбекистана" 28th January, 2017. [Online]. Available at  https://rus.ozodlik.org/a/28264547.html