Uzbekistan: Well-known Uzbek cinematograph and documentary director Abdulaziz Mahmudov faces trumped up charges.

Dear colleagues,

Please find attached a presser on persecution of a famour Uzbek
cinematograph and documentary director Abdulaziz Mahmudov.

This paper is distributed in English and Russian. Thank you in advance
for your attention.

Kind regards,

Sukhrobjon Ismoilov
Director, The Expert Working Group

Uzbekistan: Well-known Uzbek cinematograph and documentary director
Abdulaziz Mahmudov faces trumped up charges

Independent film and documentary director Abdulaziz Mahmudov, a
founder and owner of a private film studio “Abdulaziz M” in Tashkent,
faces trumped up criminal charges by the Uzbek law enforcement bodies.

The police officers of the criminal investigation unit of Mirabad
District Depart of Internal Affairs (Mirabad DDIA) of Tashkent city
visited his apartment in the beginning of April 2012 when Mahmudov
wasn’t at home. He lives alone. Having found about the visit of the
policemen from his neighbors Mahmudov fearing provocations decided to
live temporarily in a different place. Soon the policemen have again
visited his apartment for three times. Mahmudov have again learnt
about that from his neighbors.

The last police representative who visited Mahmudov apartment located
in house # 29/1, Apartment # 16, Kuylik-4 block, Mirabad district of
Tashkent city was an officer by name “Ramiz” (his mobile phone number
+99897 7476169). He has asked Mahmudov’s neighbor to tell him that the
police officers from Mirabad DDIA were looking for him and he should
visit police officer Elbek Hamraev in room # 310 in the building of
Mirabad DDIA as soon as possible.

Mahmudov has got in touch with the representative of Mirabad DDIA over
the phone and demanded to explain the reasons of the visits by
policemen to his apartment. The police officer told him that he had
participated in unsanctioned pickets in 1998 and that is why he should
arrive to the Mirabad DDIA.

Mahmudov says he hadn’t participated in any pickets in 1998. He thinks
it looks like an effort to trump up a criminal or administrative
charge against him and get him on the crook for his independent work
as a film director. Mahmudov fears illegal detention and arrest and
further trumping up of a criminal case against himself. Therefore he
is not thinking yet to visit the Mirabad DDIA as he was requested to
do. Moreover, nobody has officially invited him to do so.

Mahmudov’s latest work is a documentary named “Between Past and
Future. Ethnic Nationalism. Second film” devoted on June events of
2010 in southern Kyrgyzstan and inter-ethnic problems in post-Soviet
countries in general. The documentary was made in 2010 and currently
Mahmudov and his colleagues are preparing for its broader
presentation.

In April 2012 the government run company “Uzbekkino” (Uzbek Cinema)
has denied Mahmudov to publicly demonstrate his latest documentary in
the territory of Uzbekistan. Following this decision another
government run agency – the State Agency for Intellectual Property
Rights have also denied to register Mahmudov’s rights as an author of
this documentary referring to the earler decision by Uzbekkino.
Mahmudov and his colleagues say both decisions were unfair and
prompted by the current political preferences of the Uzbek
authorities.
Mahmudov is an author and owner of unique personal archive of
video-materials picturing the history of creation and first years of
activities of the Uzbek democratic political opposition. Several of
his documentaries featuring such materials have become indeed popular
among the opposition and independent mass media. As an independent
cinematograph Mahmudov has faced pressure of the law enforcement
bodies in the past. He and his colleagues think the latest pressure of
Mirabad DDIA is also related to his creative and public activities.

Cases of persecution including a criminal persecution of Uzbekistani
human rights activists, independent journalists and photographers are
not rare. Latest examples include criminal persecution of Uzbekistani
journalists Elena Bondar, Viktor Krimzalov, Abdumalik Boboev and a
photographer Umida Akhmedova.

The Expert Working Group calls on the Uzbek authorities, in particular
the Prosecutor General’s Office, Ministry of Internal Affairs and
National Security Service to provide official explanation on the
reasons of summon to Mirabad DDIA for Abdulaziz Mahmudov and
immediately stop his persecution. We also call on all other
stakeholders, including the western embassies, international
organizations and mass media to assist in protection of Mahmudov from
the above mentioned persecution.