Tadjibayeva, Mutabar
Who, Why and How exiled: Mutabar Tadjibaeva is an independent journalist and human rights defender. She is a fearless critic of the Uzbek government and openly spoke out against the massacre of mainly unarmed civilians by government forces in Andijan in May 2005. She is the President of the Fiery Hearts Club and has long helped ordinary people seek justice. In Uzbekistan, Mutabar investigated drug trafficking, corruption and human rights violations. Because of her work, she has been threatened, jailed, tortured and raped (Front Line Defenders, n.d; Ptuz, 2015)
Stage 1 details (accusations/ charges/ Interpol notice/ extradition requests): During her detention and imprisonment she was subject to torture and rape (Putz, 2015).
Stage 2 details (arrest/ detention/ extradition): From 2002 to 2005, Tadjibayeva was subject to harassment and arrest by police as a result of her work as a human rights activist. In 2005, as tension began to boil in Andijan in response to the trial of 23 local businessmen on terrorism charges, Tadjibayeva sent a telegram to the Uzbek President about the potential for unrest in the region. In April, she was detained by plainclothes policemen who accused her of “spreading propaganda and inciting people against the government of Uzbekistan.” ( Putz, 2015).
Stage 3 details (attack/ abduction/ rendition/ torture/ assassination/ death): In the evening of 7 October 2005,Tadjibaeva was about to leave her home to travel to Ireland to attend Front Line Defenders’s 3rd Dublin Platform, where she intended to speak of the human rights violations committed by the Uzbek state, when armed and masked policemen stormed her home, arrested and charged her with extortion based on a minor financial disagreement with an employee at her fish farm (Front Line Defenders, n.d.).
Other actions during Stages 1–3 (dispossession/ overseas assets frozen/ intimidation/ action against associates/ …): During her dentition Tadjibayeva then was beaten, gang-raped and threatened by the police (Putz, 2015).
Legal status (refugee/ asylum seeker/ resident): She was released from prison in 2008 and since 2009 she has been living in France as a political refugee (Front Line Defenders, n,d). On 19 May 2008, while Tadjibaeva was still imprisoned, the Martin Ennals Foundation announced her as the 2008 award winner. Two weeks later, after a focused international campaign condemning Tadjibaeva's imprisonment, the Uzbek authorities released Tadjibaeva (Front Line Defenders, n,d).
Current status: Currently living in France.
Press sources: Front Line Defenders (n.d). "MUTABAR TADJIBAEVA". [Online]. Available at :https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/profile/mutabar-tadjibaeva [Accessed :22 May, 2018]. Putz, K. (2015). "UN Committee Obliges Uzbekistan to Investigate Accusations of Torture". The Diplomat. 09 October 2015. [Online].Available at: https://thediplomat.com/2015/10/un-committee-obliges-uzbekistan-to-investigate-accusations-of-torture/ [Accessed :22 May, 2018]