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Will Uzbekistan Joining UN Human Rights Council Bolster Rights and Justice?

Navbahor Imamova

   WASHINGTON - Uzbekistan is poised to join the U.N. Human Rights Council
   in January alongside two authoritarian stalwarts, Russia and China. But
   while Western capitals deride Moscow and Beijing's membership, they
   have welcomed Tashkent's accession as an opportunity to advance that
   Central Asian country's stuttering human rights reforms.

   Uzbekistan's progress -- and how far it still has to go -- is
   demonstrated by the case of Bobomurod Abdullayev, a former political
   prisoner who was recently granted a fully furnished apartment in the
   capital, which he said is a gift from President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

   Suspected of anti-constitutional activities, Abdullayev was extradited
   from Kyrgyzstan last month and quickly freed. "I'm innocent,"
   Abdullayev said. But his case remains under investigation by the State
   Security Service under what VOA sources say is a gag order.

   Reform-minded officials and lawmakers point to considerable progress in
   the four years since Mirziyoyev took power. There is greater freedom in
   every sphere, they say, highlighted by an emboldened domestic media
   that has not shied away from covering long-standing problems.

   Bobur Bekmurodov, a parliamentarian and chairman of the Yuksalish
   National Movement, whose mission is to promote reforms, said there is
   enough will in the system and among citizens to transform the country.

   "We know there are many problems but are ready for the challenges that
   come with UNHRC membership and will use it build on progress made so
   far," he said.

   "Transformation from a closed to open society is hard," Bekmurodov
   said. But "President Mirziyoyev really means it when he says Uzbekistan
   will not change course."

   But for Abdujalil Boymatov, a Europe-based activist, membership on the
   UNHRC is more a boost to Mirziyoyev's image than a reflection of
   Uzbekistan's human rights trends, which he views as negative overall.

   Boymatov said he recognizes "some good decisions" by Mirziyoyev but
   sees them "[1]not as institutional reforms but cosmetic."

   He points out that there is no political opposition in Uzbekistan, no
   party that can challenge the president. Torture and inhumane
   interrogation are banned but persist. Several journalists and bloggers
   have been detained, questioned and harassed for investigating
   corruption and questioning policy. While none has gone to prison since
   Mirziyoyev came to power, those who talked to VOA said they now work in
   constant fear.

   Alisher Kadirov, deputy speaker of the Legislative Chamber and head of
   the "Milliy Tiklanish" (National Revival) Party, said there would be no
   substantial improvement in the rule of law "unless the emphasis on
   rights is matched by citizens' commitment to duties and obligations."

   Freedoms must be matched by responsibility, Kadirov added.

   Activists and bloggers agree that citizens must care about the rights
   of others, not just their own. But they point to a record of abuse and
   persecution of individuals.

   From 1991 to 2016, thousands of people were imprisoned and tortured
   just for questioning the authorities, said Steve Swerdlow, a human
   rights lawyer now teaching at the University of Southern California.

   "Uzbekistan's election to the UNHRC reflects shifts from an insular,
   isolated posture under [former President] Islam Karimov to outward
   facing regional and global engagement under Mirziyoyev," Swerdlow said.

   But membership will intensify international scrutiny. And the West
   wants continuous progress on human rights, justice and judicial
   reforms.

References

   1. https://www.amerikaovozi.com/a/5621418.html

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