London, UK, May 1 2009 – The torture and murder of Ismat Hudoyberdiyev in an Uzbek jail is the latest chapter in Uzbekistan’s brutal campaign against Muslims who dare to speak out against the tyranny and oppression of the Karimov regime.
Ismat Hudoyberdiyev, 52, was imprisoned in 2002 and was serving a prison term for membership of the Islamic political party, Hizb-ut Tahrir. He was tortured to death in Zarafshon’s prison No 64/48. This was corroborated by the Initiative Group of Independent Human Rights Activists of Uzbekistan.
His wife Musharraf now has to bury her second husband as a result of torture in Karimov’s jails. Her previous husband was Farhad Usmanov, a prominent activist and member of Hizb ut-Tahrir who was also tortured to death by the Karimov regime in 1999 sparking international protest.
Taji Mustafa, a media representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, said, "We condemn the murder of Ismat Hudoyberdiyev by Karimov’s brutal regime. The killing of Imams, Islamic activists and ordinary Muslims not linked to any political movement has been the practice of this regime over the last decade as it seeks to silence political dissent. This has continued unabated under the guise of ‘fighting terrorism’ with the support of some Western governments who hypocritically preach freedom, democracy and the rule of law while supporting a dictator who boils people alive."
“As people rightly focus on the US government’s use of torture – exposed in recently released memos – we must not forget the systematic use of torture by Karimov, Mubarak and other western allies, sometimes on behalf of western governments.”
"Ismat Hudoyberdiyev was killed like those prisoners of conscience who were murdered before him: Farhad Usmanov, Muzafar Avazov, Husniddin Alimov, Umar Aleef Hasan Irkinovich, Inogamov Usman Tursunovich, Saidaminov Nu’man, Nosirov Habeebullah, Orif Eshanov and others. Despite this and the regime’s imprisonment of thousands of members of Hizb ut-Tahrir, we will continue to speak against its tyranny and oppression.”
"A new dawn is rising in the Muslim world and the blood of these men and the Muslims massacred in Andijan will not have been spilt in vain. Hizb ut-Tahrir and the Muslim Ummah will never forget the criminals who ordered and perpetrated these crimes. We will never bow our heads before this arrogant tyrant but will continue to speak the truth with patience and perseverance and will work tirelessly to re-establish the Islamic Khilafah which will bring Karimov to justice before discarding him and his ilk in the dustbin of history."
[Ends]
The body of Farhad Usmanov, 42, who died in pre-trial detention in June 1999. Usmanov, the son of a well-known imam, was arrested for alleged possession of a single leaflet of the Islamic group Hizb ut-Tahrir. The official cause of death was given as heart failure, although marks on the body and other evidence show Usmanov died from torture.
