Front Line is deeply concerned by the health conditions of the imprisoned human rights defender Abdurasul Khudoynazarov who tried to commit suicide on 1 September 2008, reportedly as a result of the harsh conditions of detention he endures in the N64/1 Prison in Bekabat, Tashkent region. Abdurasul Khudoynazarov, a member of the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan (HRSU) “Ezgulik”, was arrested on 26 June 2005, and condemned to nine years imprisonment.

Further Information

posted 31/10/08 On 1 September 2008, Abdurasul Khudoynazarov attempted to take his life by hanging himself in the N64/1 Prison but was rescued by the prison guards. According to the HRSU “Ezgulik”, Abdurasul Khudoynazarov’s suicide attempt was caused by the daily torture and humiliation that he endures from the prison guards of the N64/1 Prison. Abdurasul Khudoynazarov had already informed his colleagues of the situation in the prison and had tried to address to the special prosecutor, but his attempts to bring attention to the conditions of detention in the Prison N64/1 were repressed and he was placed in solitary confinement. From 12 to 24 June 2008, Abdurasul Khudoynazarov went on hunger strike to protest against the poor conditions of his detention, but this resulted in his sentencing to a further 15 days in solitary confinement. Under these circumstances, Abdurasul Khudoynazarov’s attempted suicide was his ultimate attempt to protest the conditions of the N64/1 Prison.Prior to his detention, Abdurasul Khudoynazarov specialised in combating corruption within the Uzbek law enforcement. As a result of his work, several prosecutors and police officers were forced to retire. He was arrested on 26 June 2005, charged with Article 165 (extortion) and Article 168 (fraud) of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan, and condemned to nine years imprisonment by the regional criminal court of Tashkent.

According to reports from HRSU “Ezgulik”, the arrest and detention of Abdurasul Khudoynazarov are directly related to his legitimate and peaceful human rights work, in particular his anti-corruption work. To date, Front Line has received no information about the physical and mental health conditions of Abdurasul Khudoynazarov.