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C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 000985 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/26/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KCRM KTER UZ
SUBJECT: UZBEKISTAN: TWELVE CONVICTED OF ALLEGED HIZB 
UT-TAHRIR PRISON CONSPIRACY IN NAVOIY 
 
REF: A. TASHKENT 777 
     ¶B. TASHKENT 633 
 
Classified By: Political Officer Tim Buckley for reasons 1.4 (B,D) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  Poloff met on August 22 with Akhmadjon 
Madmarov, a Margilan-based human rights activist whose two 
sons and two nephews are incarcerated for alleged membership 
in extremist organizations.  He reported that his son 
Habibullah was convicted on August 15 along with 11 fellow 
inmates of a Navoiy prison colony for a conspiracy plot to 
form a Hizb ut-Tahrir cell.  Habibullah was sentenced to 16.5 
years in a strict-regime prison, which is in addition to the 
3.5 year sentence authorities tacked on this April for 
alleged violations of internal prison rules.  Akhmadjon said 
the case is "absurd" and will be appealed by the family's 
attorney; a hearing is scheduled for September 5.  Akhmadjon 
also noted that the ICRC visits do not change anything and 
have "a harmful effect" on prisoners' life due to reprisals 
and crackdowns.  We think Akhmadjon's claims that Uzbek 
authorities looked for ways to keep his son in jail are 
credible, and they are casting the net too widely in their 
efforts to find and punish Hizb ut-Tahrir members.  However, 
we believe the ICRC prison visits have had a positive impact 
during the course of the six-month trial period.  Poloff also 
facilitated transfer of funds from Human Rights Watch to 
assist with medical treatment for one of Akhmadjon's other 
sons, Hamidullo, who was recently released from jail.  End 
summary. 
 
Extension of Sentence 
--------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) On August 22 poloff met with Akhmadjon Madmarov, who 
just returned from visiting one of his imprisoned sons, 
Habibullah Madmarov, at Prison Colony Number 29 in 
Kattakurgan.  Madmarov also has a son, Abdulla, serving the 
tenth year of a 14-year sentence in Tashkent Province, and 
another son, Hamidullo, who was recently released from jail 
(ref).  He also has two nephews who are incarcerated in 
Qarshi; all were convicted for membership in religious 
extremist organizations.  As reported in ref A, Akhmadjon 
Madmarov reiterated that on April 1 Habibullah was found 
guilty of "violating the rules of the prison" and sentenced 
to 3.5 additional years in prison as his initial sentence was 
expiring.  Akhmadjon Madmarov obtained and shared a copy of a 
court document outlining these violations -- shirking work 
assignments, etc -- but he noted it made no reference to the 
more serious Hizb ut-Tahrir conspiracy authorities 
subsequently tried his son for. 
 
Another Conviction 
------------------ 
 
¶3. (C) Akhmadjon Madmarov reported that his son Habibullah 
was also charged along with 11 other fellow inmates of a 
conspiracy that they allegedly organized in the aftermath of 
the Andijon events.  (Note:  He provided an Uzbek language 
copy of the lengthy investigation and verdict documents 
obtained by the family's attorney.  End note.)  According to 
the verdict, the accused organized a Hizb ut-Tahrir cell 
inside the prison, "with the purpose of changing the 
constitutional order in Uzbekistan to call for religious 
extremism and separatism."  The closed trial, accusing 
Habibullah and the other religious prisoners of violations of 
several articles of the Uzbek Criminal Code, began on August 
4 and was concluded on August 15 with a guilty verdict for 
all twelve.  Habibullah was sentenced to 16.5 years which, 
significantly, must be served at a strict-regime prison. 
(Note:  Habibullah is presently in a regular-regime prison, 
which his father Akhmadjon Madmarov reported already includes 
"very poor conditions inside."  End note.)  Habibullah told 
poloff that a total of 37 inmates were actually charged, 
 
although the verdict only names 12; there are more names on 
the investigation document and it is possible that the others 
will be convicted separately. 
 
¶4. (C) Akhmadjon Madmarov complained that the charges are 
"absurd," and that the lengthy court document does not 
include any specific allegations of what the group did.  He 
added that his son maintains his innocence, and noted that "a 
state should protect its citizens, whereas this trial was 
unfair."  In his opinion, "probably no more than three to 
five of this group" actually belonged to Hizb ut-Tahrir.  He 
added that the religious prisoners were placed in a separate 
area of the prison from the general population, which he said 
made it easier for authorities to allege the group was 
organizing.  Akhmadjon Madmarov confirmed that an attorney 
was present for the trial (despite being given short notice) 
and has filed an appeal; the hearing will take place on 
September 5 in Navoiy.  Akhmadjon Madmarov was told he cannot 
visit his son again until the appeal is complete. 
 
ICRC Visits "Harmful" 
--------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) Poloff asked whether he thought prison conditions were 
improving as a result of ICRC visits throughout Uzbekistan, 
to which Akhmadjon Madmarov replied that such visits "are 
only harmful."  He explained that there are consequences for 
the prisoners after they talk to ICRC visitors and that 
prison officials resent criticism that ICRC passes along to 
the Government of Uzbekistan.  (Comment:  With so many close 
family members incarcerated, Akhmadjon Madmarov is likely 
emotional about this; we continue to believe that, on 
balance, conditions at prisons are improving throughout the 
country as a result of the ICRC visits.  The six-month trial 
period ends on September 11, and the ICRC Regional Delegation 
in Central Asia requested the Ambassador's assistance in 
pushing for an extension.  End comment.) 
 
Funds via Human Rights Watch 
---------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Human Rights Watch Country Researcher, Igor Vorontsov, 
who still follows human rights cases closely despite being 
barred by the Government of Uzbekistan from working in the 
country, facilitated a money transfer from a private donor to 
help Akhmadjon Madmarov pay for medical treatment for his son 
Hamidullo, who was recently released from prison (ref C). 
Poloff passed along the USD 900 wire deposit data, which 
Akhmadjon Madmarov greatly appreciated. 
 
Comment: 
-------- 
 
¶7. (C) We agree with Akhmadjon Madmarov's claims that the 
Uzbek authorities were looking for ways to keep his son 
Habibullah and other inmates accused of membership in 
extremist religious organizations behind bars.  The court 
documents he obtained from the attorney add to his 
credibility, and it seems inconsistent to tack on 3.5 years 
for petty internal violations without any mention of the more 
serious accusations of group conspiracy Habibullah was 
subsequently charged with.  The Government of Uzbekistan is 
casting its net too broadly in its quest to reign in 
religious extremists with little regard for the disastrous 
impact that dubious trial proceedings may have on its 
criminal justice system or human rights reputation. 
 
BUTCHER