Uzbekistan: Fear for safety of HRD Ms Gulshan Karayeva and her family, in wake of physical attack followed by series of threats and intimidation.

Ms Gulshan KarayevaOn 21 May 2012, an unidentified man pursued and chased Ms Gulshan Karayeva in Qarshi, as she went to buy food for her children. She managed to escape to a nearby street where people she knew lived.

This incident followed a serious attack on Gulshan Karayeva by two unidentified women on 19 May 2012. Abusive graffiti was sprayed that night on the gate and walls of Gulshan Karayeva’s home. Unknown individuals are reportedly currently circulating around the house of Gulshan Karayeva, in an apparent attempt to monitor her movements.

Gulshan Karayeva is Chairperson of Kashkadarya region branch of the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan (HRSU) and has been the subject of previous acts of threat and intimidation.

On the morning of 19 May 2012, Gulshan Karayeva left her home to go to her daughter’s school and to a pharmacy. At approximately 11.30am, she entered a pharmacy located near the school and the regional courthouse, when two women approached her and started to speak loudly to her. Gulshan Karayeva asked them to go outside and talk quietly. They agreed and Gulshan Karayeva led them to a shop, the owner of which she knew. Upon arrival, one of the women received a call to her mobile phone, and the two women subsequently began to attack Gulshan Karayeva, beating her on the head. The attackers attempted to take her out of the shop, where four cars were reportedly parked. Gulshan Karayeva managed to seek help and the two women were removed from the shop.

During the night of 19 May, unknown persons sprayed the gate and walls of the defender’s home, and her neighbour’s home, with explicit and abusive graffiti. The graffiti included pictures of genitals, as well as insults and threats directed at Gulshan Karayeva. The defender had called the police on 20 May to report the attack and the graffiti; they responded on 21 May and requested that she come to the local police station.

It is believed that the above incidents are related to Gulshan Karayeva’s public statement issued on 5 May 2012, in which she declared that she had refused a proposal of cooperation put to her by the National Security Service (SNB).

Gulshan Karayeva has been subjected to previous acts of threats and violence. On 8 July 2011, she was attacked by Kashkadarya resident Mr Arif Pardayev, who was travelling in the same taxi as her from Tashkent to Karshi. Sitting in the back seat of the taxi, he began harassing and insulting Gulshan Karayeva, who was sitting next to the driver. Sometime later, he began beating her on the head with his hands and with a plastic bottle of water. On the previous day, 7 July 2011, Gulshan Karayeva’s dog was poisoned and she received threatening phone calls from unknown individuals. Chirakchi district court in Kashkadarya subsequently found Arif Pardayev guilty of “disorderly conduct” on 8 August 2011, and sentenced him to a fine of 460,000 sums (USD 190 at the time).

In light of the physical pursuit and serious attack, as well as the abusive graffiti, Front Line Defenders expresses serious concern for the security, and physical and psychological integrity of Gulshan Karayeva, and of her children, one of whom is disabled. Front Line Defenders views these actions as part of an ongoing campaign of threats and intimidation against the human rights defender, as a result of her legitimate and peaceful human rights work in Uzbekistan.

• Front Line Defenders
• Gulshan Karayeva
• human rights
• Human Rights Defenders
• threat and intimidation

• Uzbekistan
• http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/18398