Ismoilov, Ilhomjon and twelve others

Ismoilov was the lead plaintiff in a ECHR case against Russia. The other plaintiffs were eleven Uzbeks (Umarali Alimov, Hurshid Hamzaev, Kabul Kasimhujayev, Rustam Naimov, Obboskhon Makhmudov, the brothers Abdurrauf and Izzatullo Muhamadsobirov, Mahmud Rustamhodjaev, Shkrullo Sabirov, Sardorbek Ulughodjaev, and Iskanderbek Usmanov) and a Kyrgyz (Mamirgon Tashtemirov).

All information for these “twelve others“ is collected in the entry below.

Gender: .
State of concern: .

Who, Why and How exiled:

Seven men from Andijan living in Russia — Iskanderbek Usmanov, Rustam Naimov, Obboskhon Makhmudov, Umarali Alimov, Ilhomjon Ismoilov, Sardorbek Ulughodjaev, Shkrullo Sabirov. One living in Andijan in May 2005 — Kabul Kasimhujayev — came to Russia in June 2005. Hurshid Hamzaev from Kokand. Mamirgon Tashtemirov from Kyrgyzstan. Two brothers Izzatullo and Abdurrauf Muhamadsobirov (one left for Russia in 2000, the other arrested, tortured, held 2000–2003, left for Russia in 2004). Therefore, only one of the 13 was in Andijan at time of the uprising (ECHR, 2009).

Category of exile: . (Definitions here.)
Alleged affiliation: Akramiya, Hizb ut-Tahrir, Islamic Movement of Turkestan.

Also known as “The Uzbeks from Ivanovo”.


Which stages experienced: Stage 1   Stage 2   not Stage 3. (Definitions here.)
Date of most serious incident: 2005.
Violence experienced: .

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

On 2nd February 2005 the Tashkent prosecutor's office accused Mr Naimov of membership of Akramia, and charged him with organising a criminal conspiracy- attempting to overthrow the constitutional order of Uzbekistan, membership of an illegal organisation and the possession and distribution of subversive literature. On 17th, 18th and 19th June 2005 the Uzbekistan prosecutor's office charged the other applicants with membership of extremist organisations (Akramia, Hizb-ut-Tahrir and the Islamic Movement of Turkestan) attempting a violent overthrow of the constitutional order of Uzbekistan and aggravated murder and organising mass disorders on 13th May 2005 in Andijan ( ECHR, 2009).

Stage 2 details (arrest/ detention/ extradition):

On the 18th June 2005 arrested in Ivanovo. They had not been informed of the reasons for their arrest. On the 20th June 2005 they were been questioned by SNB agents from Uzbekistan who beat them and threatened torture in Uzbekistan. They had been told that they would be forced to confess to various crimes and be sentenced to long prison terms or death. In July 2005, Russian regional courts ordered the detention of men for unspecified time period. Extradition approved by regional court and upheld by Russian supreme court in 2006. On the 5th March 2007, after repeated appeals, the applicants were released. (ECHR, 2009)

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

During their detention in Ivanovo, they have been subject to psychological pressure and torture from the Uzbek special services ( Memorial, 2009; Ponomorev, 2007).

International arrest warrant: .

Countries of transit, asylum and/or residence: .

Current status:

The applicants were released in 2007 (Pomomorev, 2007).


Press sources:

Memorial (2 February, 2009). Голодовка в Ивановском СИЗО может возобновиться в конце недели". Available at: https://memohrc.org/news/golodovka-v-ivanovskom-sizo-mozhet-vozobnovitsya-v-konce-nedeli.

Ponomorev, V. (2007). Беженцы из Узбекистана в странах СНГ: угроза экстрадиции (май 2005 г. – август 2007 г.) Правозащитный центр “Мемориал”/Комитет «Гражданское содействие». Available at: http://studies.agentura.ru/centres/programma/UzRefugees.doc.

Legal sources:

'CASE OF ISMAILOV AND OTHERS v. RUSSIA', European Court of Human Rights, 26th November 2009. http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-86086 (Last accessed on the 30th March 2016).