> > Karimov, Islam Jr.

Karimov, Islam Jr.

Gender: .
State of concern: .

Who, Why and How exiled:

Karimov Jr is the Grandson of the first President of Uzbekistan (Fergana News, 2018). He has lived in London since the Uzbek authorities began investigating his Mother, Gulnara Karimova, the former President Karimov's daughter, in 2014 (Fergana News, 2018). He studied business and law in Oxford Brookes University (The Guardian, 2014).

Category of exile: . (Definitions here.)
Alleged affiliation: Former insider.

Which stages experienced: Stage 1   not Stage 2   not Stage 3. (Definitions here.)
Date of most serious incident: 2017.
Violence experienced: .

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

The Uzbek Prosecutor-General's Office sentenced his  mother Gulnara Karimova to five years of "restricted freedom" in 2015 after she and several associates were convicted of crimes including extortion, embezzlement, and tax evasion. Since then Karimova's  closed family has been subject to oppression. Dozens of his mother’s associates have been arrested and four of Karimov Jr’s bodyguards have been detained by the security services ( The Guardian, 2014).

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

Karimov Jr has said that his Mother is kept from communicating with him or others and has expressed worries about her health (Fergana News, 2018). He is prevented from going to Uzbekistan as he cannot risk the trip for his own safety (Fergana News, 2018).

In an interview with Guardian in 2014, Karimov's Jr told that his mother has been locked up under house arrest, together with his teenage sister, a student at a UK private school, who is unable to return to Britain and continue studying (The Guardian, 2014).

International arrest warrant: .

Countries of transit, asylum and/or residence: .

Current status:

Karimov Jr is a solicitor currently living in London (Fergana News, 2018). In December 2017 he told the BBC that he intended to seek political asylum in the UK (RFERL, 2018).


Press sources:

Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty (RFERL). (2018). Late Uzbek President's Grandson 'Asks for Asylum' in Europe. Available: https://www.rferl.org/a/karimov-s-grandson-asylum-britain/29007474.html. Last accessed 26th Feb 2018.

Fergana News . (2018). Grandson of Former Uzbek President Applies for Political Asylum in UK. Available: http://enews.fergananews.com/news.php?id=3754&mode=snews. Last accessed 26th Feb 2018.

The Guardian (2014). Uzbekistan's feuding first family and the mystery of the president's missing daughter. 16 juk. 2014.[Online]. Available at :http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-38146258 Last accessed 6 April 2018.