Juraev, a member of the Erk opposition party and a former local mayor in southern Uzbekistan, was sentenced to nine years in jail in 1994 but had the term repeatedly extended because of petty infringements.
His wife said Juraev was little more than a “skeleton” and that he had developed trouble eating, suffered constant headaches and lost all his teeth while in prison.
The US state department and human rights groups welcomed his release yesterday and called on Uzbek authorities to free other prisoners held for political reasons.
“The last 21 years have been a living hell that Murod Juraev and his family should never have had to experience,” said Steve Swerdlow of Human Rights Watch. “The Uzbek authorities should see to it that those who are alleged to have tortured Juraev and arbitrarily extended his prison sentence are promptly investigated and brought to justice.”
Juraev’s prison sentence was extended four times to keep him in jail — in 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2012 — after authorities found he had broken prison rules for crimes including “peeling carrots incorrectly”.
Minor violations of petty regulations are frequently used as pretexts to extend the sentences of political prisoners, a report by Human Rights Watch found last year. Violations documented in the report that led to extensions of jail terms included “failure to lift a heavy object” and “wearing a white shirt”.
“Uzbek authorities repeatedly punish a wide variety of prisoners they see as potential government critics by arbitrarily extending their prison terms on often absurd grounds,” said Brigitte Dufour, director of the International Partnership for Human Rights.
The human rights groups are now urging Tashkent to investigate allegations of torture against Juraev — a call that comes shortly after exiled activist Mutabar Tadjibayeva won a landmark ruling at the United Nations ordering Uzbekistan to investigate her claims that she was tortured, gang-raped and forcibly sterilised while in custody in Uzbekistan.
“The last 21 years have been a living hell that Murod Juraev and his family should never have had to experience,” said Steve Swerdlow of Human Rights Watch. “The Uzbek authorities should see to it that those who are alleged to have tortured Juraev and arbitrarily extended his prison sentence are promptly investigated and brought to justice.”
Juraev’s prison sentence was extended four times to keep him in jail — in 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2012 — after authorities found he had broken prison rules for crimes including “peeling carrots incorrectly”.
Minor violations of petty regulations are frequently used as pretexts to extend the sentences of political prisoners, a report by Human Rights Watch found last year. Violations documented in the report that led to extensions of jail terms included “failure to lift a heavy object” and “wearing a white shirt”.
“Uzbek authorities repeatedly punish a wide variety of prisoners they see as potential government critics by arbitrarily extending their prison terms on often absurd grounds,” said Brigitte Dufour, director of the International Partnership for Human Rights.
The human rights groups are now urging Tashkent to investigate allegations of torture against Juraev — a call that comes shortly after exiled activist Mutabar Tadjibayeva won a landmark ruling at the United Nations ordering Uzbekistan to investigate her claims that she was tortured, gang-raped and forcibly sterilised while in custody in Uzbekistan.
More about:
