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Uzbekistan: Death
sentence / torture allegations - Aleksander Kornetov
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Aleksander Kornetov |
Amnesty
International believes that Aleksander Kornetov is in
imminent danger of execution. His only hope to avoid execution
is clemency from President Islam Karimov.
Aleksander Kornetov was sentenced to death by Tashkent Regional
Court on 7 August 2001 for the premeditated aggravated murder
of a young woman. He reportedly maintained his innocence during
the investigation and at the trial, although he was reportedly
beaten to make him confess. His appeal was turned down by
the board of the court on 26 December.
Aleksander Kornetov was detained on 11 January 2001. His
mother says she was not told he had been arrested until four
days later. When she went to see him at the police station
in the Chilanazarsky district of Tashkent she reportedly saw
the investigator slapping her son in the face and hitting
his head. When the investigator saw her, he reportedly told
her that if she wanted to see her son alive she should go
away.
On 17 January, members of Aleksander Kornetov's family were
reportedly summoned to the police station for questioning.
His mother again witnessed her son being ill-treated: "I saw
how three law enforcement officers were beating my son like
animals. They were kicking him in the office of the investigator.
My son was crouching, and when he tried to protect his head
with his hands, they shouted at him 'put your hands down,
you bastard'." During the investigation Aleksander Kornetov
reportedly tried to commit suicide and told his mother: "I'd
rather die than go through that beating again."
Reportedly, Aleksander Kornetov suffers from open tuberculosis
and is not receiving appropriate medical treatment in prison.
His mother has reportedly taken parcels of food and medicine
to the prison, but has not been allowed to give them to him.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In October 2001 the Oliy Majlis (parliament) reduced the
number of offences punishable by death from eight to four.
Premeditated aggravated murder remains punishable by death.
In 1998 the Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights in
Uzbekistan, Sayora Rashidova, had informed Amnesty International
that moves to reduce the number of articles in the Uzbek Criminal
Code carrying a possible death sentence were part of Uzbekistan's
policy to "abolish the death penalty by stages". This latest
reduction appears to be part of this policy. However, Amnesty
International has continued to receive a high number of reports
of new death sentences. In September 2001 President Karimov
publicly stated that around 100 people were executed in Uzbekistan
each year.
As information on the death penalty is considered a state
secret, no comprehensive statistics on the number of those
sentenced to death and executed are made public. In many cases
even a prisoner's immediate family are not told whether he
or she has been executed. The UN Committee against Torture
asked the Uzbek government delegation for death penalty figures
at its November 1999 session, but did not receive them. In
its concluding observations to its March 2001 session the
UN Human Rights Committee "deplore[d] the State party's refusal
to reveal the number of persons who have been executed or
condemned to death, and the grounds for their conviction"
and asked Uzbekistan once again to provide the Committee with
such information as soon as possible.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible,
in English, Russian, Uzbek or your own language:
- urging the President to use his constitutional authority
to commute the death sentence passed on Aleksander Kornetov,
as well as all other death sentences that come before him;
- urging the authorities to open a prompt and impartial investigation
into allegations that Aleksander Kornetov was ill-treated
at the Chilanazarsky district police station, by the investigator
on 15 January and by three police officers on 17 January,
with the results made public and those found responsible brought
to justice;
- expressing sympathy for the victims of crime and their
families, but pointing out that the death penalty has never
been shown to deter crime more effectively than other punishments,
and is brutalizing to all those involved in its application;
- welcoming the October 2001 reduction in the number of articles
in the Criminal Code that are punishable by death, and urging
the authorities to build on this positive step by imposing
a moratorium on death sentences and executions, in line with
the international trend towards abolition of the death penalty;
- urging the authorities to publish comprehensive statistics
regarding death sentences and executions in Uzbekistan, which
would be in line with Recommendation 7 adopted by the United
Nations Human Rights Committee on 4 April 2001.
APPEALS TO (Please note that it may be difficult to
send faxes. If a voice answers during office hours, repeat
'fax' until connected; fax machines may be switched off outside
office hours -five hours ahead of GMT):
President, Islam Abduganiyevich KARIMOV
Respublika Uzbekistan; 700163 g. Tashkent; ul. Uzbekistanskaya,
43;
Rezidentsia prezidenta;
Prezidentu Respubliki Uzbekistan; KARIMOVU I.A., UZBEKISTAN
Faxes: + 998 71 - 2 89 00 46 (Write on the top of
your fax: "Tel.: 139 53 75; 139 82 60; 139 59 29; Prezidentu
Respubliki Uzbekistan; KARIMOVU I.A.")
Telegrams: Prezidentu Karimovu, 700163 Tashkent, Uzbekistan
e-mails: uzinfo@uzinfo.gov.uz (if your e-mail bounces
back, please fax it if possible)
Salutation: Dear President Karimov,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdulaziz Khafizovich KOMILOV
Respublika Uzbekistan; 700029 g. Tashkent; pl. Mustakillik,
5; Ministerstvo inostrannykh del Respubliki Uzbekistan; Ministru
KOMILOVU A.Kh., UZBEKISTAN
Telegrams: Ministru inostranykh del, 700029 Tashkent,
Uzbekistan
Salutation: Dear Minister,
Faxes: + 998 71 139 15 17
General Procurator, Rashidjon Hamidovich KODIROV
Respublika Uzbekistan; 700047 g. Tashkent; ul. Gulyamova,
66; Prokuratura Respubliki Uzbekistan; Generalnomu prokuroru;
KODIROVU R. Kh., UZBEKISTAN
Telegrams: Generalnomu prokuroru,700047 Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Fax: + 998 71 133 99 36
Salutation: Dear Procurator General
COPIES TO:
Chairman of the Supreme Court, Ubaydulla MINGBAYEV Respublika
Uzbekistan; 700183 g. Tashkent; ul. Abdulla Kodiri, 1; Verkhovny
Sud Respubliki Uzbekistan; Predsedatelyu MINGBAYEVU U.; UZBEKISTAN
Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, Sayora RASHIDOVA
(Ms) Respublika Uzbekistan; 700035 g. Tashkent; ul. Xalqlar
Do'stligi, 1; Oliy Majlis Respubliki Uzbekistan; Upolnomochennoy
po pravam cheloveka pri Oliy Majlis; RASHIDOVOY S., UZBEKISTAN
and to diplomatic representatives of Uzbekistan accredited
to your country.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International
Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after
26 February 2002.
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