Associated Press
December 6
The U.N. special rapporteur for torture was blocked from inspecting the jail at Uzbekistan's intelligence agency and had his visit cut short to the country's most infamous prison, he said Friday at the end of his two-week visit.
U.N. envoy Theo van Boven, who was allowed to visit Uzbekistan only after intense Western pressure, said a "high official" refused him access to the jail at the National Security Service and that only two hours were allowed for a visit to the remote Zhaslyk prison in northwestern Uzbekistan — far shorter than the six hours he requested.
Despite those problems, van Boven said he felt he was able during visits to five prisons and a mental hospital to get a picture of the situation on torture here, which he called "systematic" and "more than incidental."
"We have done our best to collect as much information as possible," he said in an interview.
Uzbekistan's international profile has grown since it became a key ally in the U.S.-led war on terrorism, providing a base for operations in neighboring Afghanistan. U.S. officials have insisted the strengthened ties have not caused them to dull their criticism of Uzbekistan's human rights record, even as foreign aid to the country more than tripled this year.
Uzbekistan regularly faces international criticism for torture in its prisons, by methods including beatings, electric shock, pouring boiling water on inmates or forced injections of drugs.
Such accusations surrounded the trial of Iskander Khudayberganov, who was sentenced to death last week — during van Boven's visit — for involvement with extremist Islamic groups. The verdict was strongly criticized by human rights groups.
Khudayberganov's alleged torture occurred while he was being held at the pre-trial detention facility at the National Security Service.
Van Boven said he tried to visit that jail but was refused permission. He said officials cited an Uzbek law that prisoners under interrogation can only be visited with the consent of interrogators. However, van Boven noted that the agreement between Tashkent and the United Nations about his visit stipulates that his permission to inspect prisons takes priority over national laws.
At Zhaslyk prison — where people convicted on charges of Islamic extremism serve their terms — van Boven said the U.N. delegation had to leave because it was getting late and Uzbek officials said the plane they used to get there did not have proper instruments to fly at night.
"We could not have a full view" of the situation at Zhaslyk, van Boven said.
Two inmates died at the prison in August, including one whose body was returned with burns and with a broken skull to relatives.
At one point during an interview with a Zhaslyk prisoner, the deputy Uzbek interior minister barged into the room unannounced in a violation of protocol, according to an official with the U.N. delegation.
Uzbek authorities gave assurances ahead of the visit that people who come in contact with the U.N. delegation would not be subject to any later punishment, van Boven said.
Van Boven is to prepare a report on his findings to be publicized in March.
Despite the difficulties, van Boven said some government agencies had been cooperative but noted that "others apparently have things to hide."
He said he hoped his trip could help progress on the problem of torture in Uzbekistan.
"If my role here would only be as a sort of token visit and a symbolic one then I think I would have stopped my work," he said.
