Front Line is deeply concerned following reports of injuries sustained by human rights defender Ihtiyor Hamroev and the extension of his prison sentence by a further seven months. Ihtiyor Hamroev is a member of the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan (HRSU) and the son of Bahtiyor Hamroev, chairman of Djizak Regional Department of HRSU. Ihtiyor Hamroev is currently serving a custodial sentence in Prison 64/78 in the district of Djizak.

Further Information

Posted 06/12/2007 On 30 November 2007, Bahtiyor Hamroev received a phone call from an anonymous prison guard, in which he was informed that, on the night of 29 November 2007, the guard had witnessed Ihtiyor Hamroev being woken by prison guards and taken to another room. The guards reportedly attempted to force him to sign a statement incriminating himself for the use of forbidden language to a prison employee. When Ihtiyor Hamroev refused, he was badly beaten and according to the prison guard, he allegedly stabbed himself in the stomach as a sign of protest, although it is not known from where he could have obtained a knife.

Ihtiyor Hamroev was reportedly hospitalised for his injuries. His current whereabouts are unknown and despite various attempts by his family to get information regarding his current state of health and location, no answers have been received. Bahtiyor Hamroev has submitted an official appeal to the Prosecutor's office in Djizak. Furthermore, Ihtiyor Hamroev's sentence has been extended by an additional seven months following this incident, which may be linked to the complaint he has recently filed to protest the allegations made against him to prevent him being granted amnesty.

Ihtiyor Hamroev was arrested on 25 September 2006, charged under Article 277(2) g of the Penal Code with hooliganism, and sentenced to three years in prison. Since that time he has reportedly been subjected to ill-treatment and torture. Front Line believes that the arrest, conviction, and recent extension of the prison sentence of Ihtiyor Hamroev may be linked to his work in defence of human rights and his father's criticism of the Uzbek government and that these recent events may form part of an ongoing campaign against human rights defenders in Uzbekistan.