5 July 2021
Felix Corley, Forum 18, and Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18
Uzbekistan s new Religion Law – now with the President for signature - maintains almost all the restrictions on freedom of religion and belief in the current Religion Law. It continues to ban: all exercise of freedom of religion and belief without state permission; teaching about religion without state permission; sharing beliefs; and publishing, distributing or importing printed and electronic religious materials which have not undergone compulsory prior state censorship. The continuing restrictions are in defiance of Uzbekistan s legally binding international human rights obligations.
Uzbekistan s new Religion Law maintains almost all the restrictions on freedom of religion and belief in the current Religion Law, Forum 18 notes. The new Law – which officials have been working on since at least 2015 - completed passage in Parliament on 26 June and is now awaiting presidential signature into law.
28 May 2021
Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18
On 27 May, Asliddin Khudaiberdiyev was jailed for teaching five boys and six adult men how to read the Koran and pray. The jailing followed a police and secret police raid on a Samarkand Region mosque as Muslims were preparing to worship. The raid came as the regime publicly announced and implemented increased restrictions across the country on under-18s attending mosques. Also, Religion Law changes are still going through parliament but the regime continues to hide the text its parliament is discussing.
On 27 May, a Judge in Samarkand Region jailed Muslim teacher Asliddin Khudaiberdiyev for 15 days to punish him for teaching men and boys in a mosque how to read the Koran and say the namaz prayer. Judge Aziz Akramov refused to explain to Forum 18 why he jailed Khudaiberdiyev for 15 days. The jailing followed a police and secret police raid on the mosque.
13 May 2021
Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18
In late April the Deputy Headteacher of a Bukhara school rang Muslim parents to say that the ordinary police and the SSS secret police had visited to ask how religiously devout families and children are . Parents were warned of unspecified consequences if they teach Islam to their children, or any of their children wear the hijab. Human rights defenders have heard unconfirmed accounts that the ordinary police and SSS secret police are making similar visits to schools in other parts of the country to ask similar questions.
In late April the Deputy Headteacher of one state school in the southern city of Bukhara rang Muslim parents of at least 20 pupils at two state schools, Schools No. 14 and No. 33, stating that earlier in the month the ordinary police and the State Security Service (SSS) secret police had visited both schools. The police and SSS had asked teachers how religiously devout families and children are, and if parents influence the
30 April 2021
Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18
A Samarkand court fined Shia Muslim Rashid Ibrahimov about two weeks average wages for having Shia religious material on his mobile phone. The phone was confiscated. A court official said Shia Muslims were punished because of the Religion Law. A prisoner of conscience jailed for exercising freedom of religion and belief has been tortured with beatings on the soles of his feet. Another prisoner of conscience, Tulkun Astanov, has been given medical treatment, but his current location is unknown.
Police in Samarkand replaced Criminal Code charges against Shia Muslim Rashid Ibrahimov with Administrative Code charges. On 25 March, a Samarkand court fined him about two weeks average wages for having Shia religious material on his mobile phone. The phone was ordered to be taken as state property. Ibrahimov – in line with the international human rights law the regime is obliged to respect – has told his friends that he does not think that havin
22 January 2021
Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18
After repeatedly defending Muslims freedom of religion and belief, including demonstrating outside President Shavkat Mirziyoyev s residence, Tulkun Astanov has been jailed for five years. A state report accused him of following sources of biased news such as Radio Free Europe , and publishing unsubstantiated and exaggerated information. Prisoner of conscience Astanov is being banned in jail from reading the Koran and praying the namaz.
After repeatedly defending the freedom of religion and belief of Muslims, including demonstrating outside President Shavkat Mirziyoyev s residence in the capital Tashkent, a city court has jailed 49-year-old Tulkun Astanov for five years. Tashkent City Criminal Court rejected his appeal on 5 January.