The Committee to Save the Refugees
Facing Extradition from Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan
Press Release
29-11-2010
On 30 November and 1 December 2010 in the capitals of the OSCE member countries, particularly in Washington, London, Paris, The Hague, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Prague, and Kiev will hold a picket in defence of 29 Uzbek refugees, illegally imprisoned in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Between 2005 and March 2010, 15 of these refugees received the status of UN mandate refugees.
Pickets will be held just before and during the summit on December 1-2, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Astana.
Between 9 and 11 June 2010, law enforcement agencies of Kazakhstan have arrested more than 45 refugees in Almaty (Kazakhstan), including 30 people on the extradition request of the Prosecutor General of Uzbekistan. During the offsite meetings of the Kazakh Republican Central Committee for Determination of Refugee Status arrested refugees were denied political asylum in Kazakhstan.
On 8 September 2010 Tashkenbay Aubakirov, assistant of prosecutor of Almaty city, reported that General Prosecutor of the Republic of Kazakhstan issued order of extradition of 30 refugees to Uzbekistan. Till now, four of the refugees already have been extradited to Uzbekistan, their fate is unknown.
Later we learned that UNHCR have revoked the UN mandate refugee status of the above mentioned detainees, but refugees have not been informed about it on time. Refugees have learned about it through word of mouth of their relatives only after several months.
Since the early days of arrest refugees’ rights are grossly violated. Detainees in prison KNB are fully isolated from the outside world. Refugees’ wives denied a meeting with their husband. The decision of the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the extradition of refugees is contrary to international obligations of Kazakhstan, in particular the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees, the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
According to annual reports of the U.S. State Department and many influential international human rights organizations human rights situation in Uzbekistan is one of the worst positions in the world. Uzbekistan is recognized as a country where torture is systematic. Based on these facts, Kazakhstan must immediately stop the extradition of refugees to Uzbekistan, recognize them as political refugees and allow them to resettle in a third country.
We protest against the decision of the Kazakh Republican Central Committee for the Determination of Refugee Status over the refusal of asylum for Uzbek refugees. We protest against the decision of the Prosecutor General of Kazakhstan regarding the extradition of refugees to the country of torture. We protest against the decision of the UNHCR office on cancellation of UN refugee statuses.
Organizers and participants of pickets urge the leaders of the OSCE member states, as well as other participants of the summit and all people of goodwill to draw attention to the fate of 29 arrested Uzbek refugees facing extradition to Uzbekistan. In cases of extradition to Uzbekistan they will be tortured and humiliated, will face inhuman treatment and even death.
—
Ahmad Iyso
Committee to Save the Refugees
facing extradition from Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan
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