Return of dissident is a test for Uzbek…

Uznews.net – The return of Bahodir Choriyev to Uzbekistan has become his personal act of courage, but not the beginning of changes in the country, when many other dissidents could also comeback, Uzbek pro-democracy activists believe.

The return of Bahodir Choriyev, leader of the Birdamlik (Solidarity) movement, to Uzbekistan from political exile in the USA has become a litmus test for the Uzbek authorities which proved to the local public and the international community that they were grotty, Uzbek political analyst Tashpulat Yuldashev thinks.

The detention at Tashkent airport upon arrival, charges of forging exit visa, the transfer to home in Kashkadarya Region under escort and house arrest in a family house in Kamashi District are the latest chronology of events around Choriyev return to Uzbekistan.

All this does not promising anything good to Choriyev, but it may turn into very bad, Yuldashev thinks. The president of the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan, Abdujalil Boymatov, shares this view.

Both experts think that the situation in which Choriyev has ended up shows the Uzbek government is not interested in the return of exiled dissidents to the country and if they return voluntarily the best they can expect is house arrest.

During his 20 year rule President Islam Karimov and his government have only been persecuting opposition leaders. Not only has he ever tried to listen their ideas but he could not even agree with their very right to exist.

“Karimov’s regime treats agreement or dialogue with the opposition as a sign of its weakness,” Yuldashev said. “That is why it cannot allow Choriyev to come to his country freely and do his things as he wants.”

Boymatov thinks that Choriyev would best be allowed to see his relatives but all other actions relating to Birdamlik’s congress in Kashkadarya Region and meetings with his followers will be blocked and prevented.

If Choriyev will insist on his right to conduct his organisation’s activities for which he came from abroad, the authorities will take stricter measures against him, Boymatov believes. “House arrest may be replaced with a prison term,” he said.

His return to Uzbekistan has not attracted wide support from the population because people do not know about opposition leaders due to repressions and full government control of the media. One cannot even talk about opposition leaders’ ability to take people to the streets, Boymatov thinks.

The absence of people’s solidarity with dissidents, like Choriyev, will make it easy for the Uzbek government to take measures stricter than house arrest against the leader of Birdamlik, Boymatov believes.

“The authorities will proceed only from their own interests in deciding the future of Choriyev,” Boymatov said. “They can take this decision without listening to anyone’s opinion since Karimov had no problems in ordering the crushing of the rally in Andijan on 13 May 2005.”

Yuldashev also assumes that Choriyev may be arrested any time. He may return to the USA in three months if he keeps his contacts to his family members in the remote house he is been exiled to now, he said.

Both experts praised the opposition leader’s courage in returning to Uzbekistan. He was the first out of two dozen dissidents to return from exile to the country without changing his views and stance.

The return of some members of the opposition Birlik (Unity) party, for example Pulat Ahunov, cannot be treated as real return because before flying to Uzbekistan they tried to please the government by writing sycophantic articles praising its domestic policies.

“I admire Choriyev’s courage,” Boymatov said. “He voluntarily went to the dragon’s jaws in order to clear the road for the return of other dissidents.”

Yuldashev said that Choriyev’s action deserved respect because he could test the government and prove that it is far from the image it is trying to build for itself in the country and in the world.