Djizzakh-based human rights activist Bakhtiyor Hamrayev told Uznews.net about the release of Sattor Irzayev from the 64/3 prison in Tashkent Region. Hamrayev, who received this news from relatives of the ex-prisoner, said that Irzayev was granted last year’ amnesty but was released only now.
A member of the HRSU’s Ishtihan District office, Sattor Irzayev, was detained on 4 June 2005 in the village of Mitan and was violently tortured during the investigation into his case. He was charged with libel and extortion under Criminal Code articles 139 and 165, respectively.
On 18 October of the same year, the Samarkand regional court considered a clearly fabricated case against Irzayev and sentenced him to six years in the standard regime prison.
Bakhtiyor Hamrayev said that the release of his colleague was a total surprise for him because human rights activists are rarely given amnesty.
For example, the chairman of the HRSU office in Ishtihan District, Norboy Holjigitov and another member of the movement, Habilbulla Akpulatov, who were arrested together with Irzayev under the same case in October 2005, were sentenced to 10 and six years in prison, respectively.
We earlier reported that Holjigitov is still serving his prison term in colony 64/49 in Karshi. He is suffering insular diabetes, and is not able to walk because he is not receiving necessary treatment. He has the signs of incipient gangrene on his left leg and hand but he is not allowed to see doctors.
Hamrayev believes that Holjigitov was given a longer prison term because he was known better for his rights activities in Samarkand Region than Irzayev and therefore the authorities deemed he was more notorious.
The rights activist’s popularity is evident from the fact that over 600 of Holjigitov’s fellow villagers staged a rally in his support after his arrest. Only false promises to release the public favourite in the near future helped to break up the crowd.
According to HRSU President Abdujalil Boymatov, who is in emigration, eight of the 17 members of the organisation that were arrested following the Andijon events in May 2005 still remain in prisons.
Nevertheless, the release of at least one prisoner, in this case Sattor Irzayev, can be regarded as a little but still a victory. However, it is too early to speak about a complete victory.
“I am glad for the release of Irzayev but at the same time I am upset because he spent the long four years in prison without any guilt, suffered humiliation and deprivations, which damaged his health,” the HRSU president said.
“These kinds of releases can be regarded as progress in the country only when those who sanctioned illegal arrests and torture and humiliate prisoners will be punished, when arresting innocent people will become just impossible,” noted Boymatov.
Uznews.net
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