New Crimes of Karimov's Regime in Uzbekistan
(Translated)

The re-election of Islam Karimov as president of Uzbekistan in March of this year did not come as a surprise. Many experts and various international and local media discussed the details of the elections and outlined that his election to another term is a clear violation of the constitution adopted by him... However the whole world was silent and even went on to congratulate the democracy of Karimov's regime! And continued to ignore the many crimes of the Karimov's regime including:

Shooting at the resident civilians of Andijan, the physical elimination of dissidents and intellectual opposition, preventing wearing the Khimar (head scarf) and growing of beards, and wearing men's hats, preventing state employees from praying, preventing young people from entering mosques, and preventing collective Iftars during Ramadan, as well as the crimes practiced by the Uzbek regime in prisons and detention centers... and a recent message showing the reality of the brutality of this regime we received from the brothers charged according to Article 159 concerning sentences linked to religious reasons. We decided to convey the voices of those who are languishing in prisons to the world, perhaps it will touch what is left of their senses of injustice and its enormity, and this is the text of the detainees' message:

"We members of Hizb ut Tahrir in Prison OYA-51/64 in the town of Kasane in Kashkadarya province, which the rulers of Uzbekistan work to turn it into a prison like OYA-64/48 located in the city of Zarafshan in Navosa province, where most types of severe torture are practiced against the detainees, especially against Hizb ut Tahrir members. The regime has transferred detainees affiliated with the state who carry out the government's orders and carry out dirty work on its behalf, it transferred them from Prison OYA-64/48 in the city of Zarafshan to prison OYA-64/51 in the town of Kasane...

These transferred prisoners on 19 September 2015 and under the prison administration cover started provoking those who oppose the state, tortured and insulted and mocked them, and carried out actions against them that usually lead to death... Then these transferred prisoners declared on 25 September 2015 that Prison OYA 64/51 "is a black area," which is a term given to areas where criminals' ideas prevail, so as to draw the attention away from the government that wants to hide its crimes by considering what is taking place is the result of a painful struggle between detainees with different viewpoints. Bearing in mind that these transferred prisoners are affiliated with the state, they are criminal gangs supported by the state and that what they are doing is far worse than what is carried out by any criminal gang.

Since moving to this prison these state-affiliated detainees have attempted to break the will of the steadfast members of Hizb ut Tahrir and especially of Brother Kazhakofa Ahmad Jan from the city of Andijan, whom they broke his legs... and when his relatives came to visit him, the state-affiliated detainees asked him to divorce his wife. He refused it categorically, and after he confronted them with this firm response, they assisted the prison management of Prison OYA-64/51 on 5/10/2015 to stab Ahmad Jan in his stomach with a knife...

And even the internal system of the prison is controlled by the state-affiliated detainees and they carry out acts of brutality against the detainees for religious reasons according to Article 159, especially against the detainees from the members of Hizb ut Tahrir. They put them in an isolated room where they are subjected to most severe types of torture and humiliation... and they break their hands and feet with utter brutality. They do not stop at this, they enter the visitor rooms where prisoners meet with their relatives, when they are allowed to visit, and they disturb and harm them... and all this is with the knowledge of the prison's administration, who cover up for them." (End of the letter's text.)

We like to remind you that there are more than six thousand members of Hizb ut Tahrir in Uzbekistan's prisons, many of them are detained since 1999, which is more than 16 years, and even though their extended time of their sentences is finished, the state in Uzbekistan extends their detention illegally for a second, third and fourth time. This is not exclusive to men, Muslim women face the same fate in Karimov's prisons.

On our behalf, we declare to the whole world that these crimes will not go unpunished in this world, Allah willing, and the punishment of the Hereafter is more severe and eternal... and that these crimes will not stop Hizb ut Tahrir from moving forth in its call for the return of Islam to the realm of life, patiently, steadfast, and proud, and in full belief of the near victory of Allah (swt) and victory of His Deen, Allah (swt) says in His Great Book:

[يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يُطْفِئُوا نُورَ اللَّهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَيَأْبَى اللَّهُ إِلَّا أَنْ يُتِمَّ نُورَهُ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَ]

"They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah refuses except to perfect His light, although the disbelievers dislike it" [At-Tawba: 32]