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RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA 0655
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RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2889
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC 0354
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC 0501

C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 001235 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN AND DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2018 
TAGS: PHUM CASC ICRC PGOV PREL SOCI UZ
SUBJECT: UZBEKISTAN: MEDICAL COMMISSION TO EXAMINE 
IMPRISONED OPPOSITIONIST 
 
REF: TASHKENT 1217 
 
Classified By: POLOFF R. FITZMAURICE FOR REASONS 1.4 (B, D) 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary: On October 22, the Ambassador met with 
Indira Umarova, the AmCit wife of imprisoned political 
oppositionist Sanjar Umarov, who described her recent visit 
to see her husband in prison on October 17 and his 
deteriorating health condition (reftel).  Afterwards, the 
Ambassador drafted a letter to President Karimov, requesting 
that Umarov be immediately released on humanitarian grounds. 
In response to the letter, the Ambassador was summoned to a 
meeting with Foreign Minister Norov on October 24, who 
reported that on President Karimov's initiative, a special 
"independent" commission was being created to conduct a 
medical examination of Umarov.  Norov also brought up the 
issue of Umarova's passport and citizenship, noting that 
while she had broken Uzbek law by acquiring dual citizenship, 
the government wanted Umarova to depart as scheduled on 
October 27.  After the Ambassador met Umarova a second time 
on October 24 and intervened again on her behalf with the 
MFA, Umarova was granted a second meeting in prison with her 
husband on October 25.  Her passport was also returned to her 
and she departed Uzbekistan with her two young daughters on 
October 27.  The meeting with Foreign Minister Norov made 
clear that the Uzbeks are finally aware of the seriousness of 
the situation and, at the very least, we expect that Umarov 
will be provided with urgent medical care in an effort to 
save his life.  We would not rule out the possibility -- if 
Umarov stays alive -- that Umarova is able to come back to 
see him, or that he might even at some stage be released (and 
exiled).  End summary. 
 
AMBASSADOR WRITES LETTER TO PRESIDENT KARIMOV ON UMAROV 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
¶2.  (C) On October 22, the Ambassador met with Indira 
Umarova, the wife of imprisoned political oppositionist 
Sanjar Umarov, who described her recent visit to see her 
husband in prison and his deteriorating health condition 
(reftel).  Umarova, who was accompanied by Sunshine Coalition 
member Nigara Khidoyatova, also repeated her grave concern 
that her husband may soon die in prison.  In view of the 
gravity of the situation, the Ambassador promised to 
intervene strongly on Umarov's behalf with Uzbek authorities 
as soon as possible.  Umarova agreed with the Ambassador that 
the best approach to take at the moment was to keep Umarov's 
situation in confidential channels as much as possible for 
now and to limit public statements. 
 
¶3.  (C) The Ambassador sent a letter dated October 22 to 
President Karimov, requesting that Umarov be immediately 
released on humanitarian grounds.  The letter also noted the 
government's cooperation this year on allowing the 
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to restart 
prison visits, and asked that the government take "the next 
step" by expanding ICRC monitoring to all pre-trial detention 
facilities to avoid further cases such Umarov's. 
 
¶4.  (C) On October 23, the Ambassador spoke with Foreign 
Minister Norov and Deputy Foreign Minister Nematov on the 
margins of a UNESCO-sponsored conference on cultural tourism 
chaired by First Daughter Lola Karimova.  Norov confirmed 
that the letter to President Karimov had been received, and 
Nematov expressed alarm and immediate understanding of the 
implications of the situation for Uzbekistan's image and 
relations with the West.  The irony was not lost on him given 
the venue that a headline on Umarov's situation could cost 
Uzbekistan thousands of cultural tourists, not to mention 
other costs. 
 
UMAROVA THREATENED BY OVIR 
 
-------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (C) On October 23, Umarova was contacted by officials 
from the Mirzo-Ulugbek district Ministry of Internal Affairs 
Passport Office (OVIR), where she had submitted her Uzbek 
passport for an exit visa the week before.  The officials 
demanded that she immediately come to the OVIR office or 
"face arrest."  Once there, the officials shared with Umarova 
a copy of the Ambassador's letter to President Karimov, which 
noted that she was an AmCit (Note: She had traveled to 
Uzbekistan on her Uzbek passport.  End note.)  The officials 
pointed out that Umarova had broken Uzbek law, which forbids 
individuals from possessing dual citizenship, and they 
threatened to tear up her Uzbek passport in retaliation. 
 
¶6.  (C) Umarova, a newly naturalized AmCit, earlier reported 
that she decided to travel to Uzbekistan on her Uzbek 
passport after the Uzbek Embassy in Washington told her they 
would not issue a visa in her U.S. passport until she 
renounced her Uzbek citizenship, a process they allegedly 
told her would take 3 to 5 years and require President 
Karimov's personal intervention (reftel). 
 
UNEXPECTEDLY RECEIVES PHONE CALL FROM HUSBAND... 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶7.  (C) On October 23, Umarova also unexpectedly received a 
phone call from her husband.  Her husband reportedly only had 
the strength to whisper into the phone and said almost 
nothing, with Mrs. Umarova doing most of the talking.  The 
phone call reportedly lasted 20 minutes. 
 
AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH FOREIGN MINISTER NOROV 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶8.  (C) In response to his letter to President Karimov, the 
Ambassador was summoned to a meeting with Foreign Minister 
Norov on October 24.  Reading from a short diplomatic note, 
Norov informed the Ambassador that on President Karimov's 
initiative, a special "independent" commission was created to 
conduct a medical examination of Umarov.  Norov did not say 
when and to whom the commission would report its results, but 
appeared to indicate that it would not take long. 
 
¶9.  (C) Norov also brought up the issue of Mrs. Umarova's 
passport and citizenship.  While he stressed that she had 
broken Uzbek law by acquiring dual citizenship, he also made 
it clear that the Uzbek government wanted Umarova to depart 
as scheduled on October 27 and would not interfere with her 
departure.  When the Ambassador later asked for 
clarification, the MFA explained that Umarova should submit a 
letter renouncing her Uzbek citizenship to the OVIR office 
before her departure.  When asked at the meeting how the GOU 
would react if (as we expect) she seeks to return, Norov 
would not speculate whether she would be granted an Uzbek 
visa for her American passport. 
 
¶10.  (C) During the meeting, the Ambassador reminded Norov 
that the United States was about to enter a political 
transition period in which the new Administration would be 
forming its views of Uzbekistan and possibilities for 
U.S.-Uzbek cooperation.  He also pointed out that how the 
Umarov case plays out will be a critical part of that 
assessment.  The Ambassador urged the government to apply a 
humanitarian standard to its approach - arguing that 
releasing Umarov, and allowing Mrs. Umarova to stay in 
country, would be in their interest. 
 
AMBASSADOR'S SECOND MEETING WITH UMAROVA 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶11.  (C) After the Norov meeting, the Ambassador on October 
 
24 met a second time at the Embassy with Umarova, who this 
time was accompanied by her two young daughters (both AmCits) 
and Sunshine Coalition member Nadira Khidiyatova (the sister 
of Nigara, who was originally tried alongside Umarov, but was 
given a suspended sentence).  Umarova and Khidiyatova 
interpreted Norov's message and the diplomatic note (which we 
showed them) as a modestly hopeful sign in an overall 
miserable and tragic situation.  While skeptical about the 
medical commission's ability to save her husband at this 
stage, Umarova nevertheless shared our hope that with luck it 
could potentially be the first step towards her husband being 
released.  She also played a short tape recording of a 
portion of her phone conversation with her husband from the 
day before, in which he sounded weak and incoherent. 
 
¶12.  (C) Outlining how she intends to handle the matter with 
the press, Umarova concluded that the best approach would be 
not to mask the humanitarian distress which a wife would 
naturally feel upon seeing her husband in such awful 
circumstances, but equally not make the issue "political" or 
to back the Uzbek authorities so far into a corner that it 
undermines the Embassy's ability to pursue Umarov's release 
or her ability at some point to get an Uzbek visa in order to 
return here if Umarov survives.  Both women agreed on the 
importance to the government of not losing "face." 
 
¶13.  (C) Umarova also asked for the Embassy's assistance in 
trying to meet with her husband one more time before 
departing Uzbekistan - possibly the last chance she and her 
two daughters might have to see him alive.  After the 
meeting, the Ambassador relayed this request to the MFA. 
 
UMAROVA ALLOWED TO VISIT HUSBAND AGAIN, DEPARTS UZBEKISTAN 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
¶14.  (C) On October 25, Umarova phoned poloff to report that 
she and her daughters had been allowed that day to visit her 
husband at the Tavaksay prison for one hour.  She reported 
that her husband's condition was the same as when she saw him 
on October 17 (reftel).  Umarova asked poloff to pass along 
her deepest gratitude to the Ambassador, whose efforts she 
credited with the government's decision to allow her to visit 
her husband again. 
 
¶15.  (C) Umarova also reported that she submitted a letter to 
OVIR on October 24 declaring her intention to renounce her 
Uzbek citizenship.  The officials at OVIR accepted her letter 
and returned her Uzbek passport, which they explained she 
would need to leave the country.  They also requested that 
she submit additional documentation to the Uzbek Embassy in 
Washington to complete the renunciation of her Uzbek 
citizenship, which she agreed to do. 
 
¶16.  (C) On October 27, Nigara Khidoyatova confirmed to 
poloff that Umarova and her two daughters had departed 
Uzbekistan that morning without any difficulties. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶17.  (c) The meeting with Foreign Minister Norov made clear 
that the Uzbeks are finally aware of the seriousness of the 
situation, and at the very least, we expect that Umarov will 
be provided with urgent medical care in an effort to save his 
life.  We would not rule out the possibility -- if Umarov 
stays alive -- that Umarova is able to come back to see him, 
or that he might even at some stage be released (and exiled). 
 We should refrain from public comment on this matter at 
least until the medical commission reports the results of its 
examination of Umarov (presuming this happens in a timely 
fashion, of course).  However slight, there is still a chance 
to save Umarov, as well as to get Umarova back into 
 
Uzbekistan again, and we will want to think through our next 
steps carefully before taking to the podium.  In the 
meanwhile, we will continue to urge the Uzbeks to take 
appropriate action through confidential channels, including 
during Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and 
Central Asia Donald Camp's visit to Tashkent this week. 
 
¶18.  (C) In his courtesy call on new Defense Minister 
Berdiyev on October 24, the Ambassador again emphasized the 
point that a transition team is about to assess prospects for 
U.S.-Uzbek cooperation in the future, and we expect this 
message will be understood when it is conveyed up to the 
Presidential Apparatus, as the Ambassador's comments to Norov 
will be as well.  We will continue to urge the Uzbeks that it 
is in their best interest to provide Umarov with urgent 
medical care and release him from prison. 
NORLAND