Today "Memorial" began publishing Dadebaev's memoirs about the events of 2016, connected with an attempt to recruit him by the special services of Uzbekistan to work abroad.
Dadebaev's acquaintances in Istanbul reported that he stopped communicating on January 11. His phone has been switched off since then, and his personal pages on social networks have not been updated.
The activist got in touch with Memorial on January 10, sending small clarifications to the draft text about his story. That same afternoon, he tried to contact his lawyer.
Dadebayev's acquaintances in Turkey, who have been trying all these days to find him in Istanbul, expressed fear that he could be forcibly taken to Uzbekistan. Dadebaev's lawyer said an hour ago that according to information he received on January 12, the disappeared activist was registered for a flight to Uzbekistan. Details are being specified.
Everyone who knows Zhumasapar is convinced that there can be no question of a voluntary return. Most likely, we are talking about an illegal operation of the Uzbek special services, which have become noticeably more active after the recent events in Kazakhstan.
#SOS#. #SOS#:::Failed recruitment. The story of a civil activist from Central Asia
The National Security Service of Uzbekistan tried to make Zhumapasar Dadebaev an agent for work in other countriesCivil activist and blogger Zhumasapar Dadebaev, who was born in a Turkmen village in Karakalpakstan, has been living in Istanbul for several years. In 2016, even before he took up public activity, the National Security Service of Uzbekistan tried to recruit him as an agent, including for organizing a provocation in Moscow against human rights activist Bakhrom Khamroev, a member of the Memorial Human Rights Center. In the tense situation that arose in connection with the illness and death of President Islam Karimov, he managed to free himself from the control of the security services and flee to Turkey.
Head of the Central Asia Program Vitaly Ponomarev met Zhumasapar in Istanbul in June 2021 and talked for several hours. Dadebaev is still worried, remembering what he had to endure. His earlier attempts to report the incident to journalists abroad ended in failure. Of course, he does not remember all the details of the events equally clearly, and not everything that the SNB employees told the "agent" about can be considered reliable. But their words and actions vividly characterize both the criminal methods of work of the special services of the Karimov era, and the moods that exist in this environment closed from ordinary citizens. Before the publication, the activist, known to many Central Asian migrants in Istanbul as Zhuma the Turkmen, clarified some details of what happened to him.
How it all started
Zhumasapar was born on October 10, 1986 to a Turkmen family in the village of Saraikul. At that time, the village was part of the Khodjeili district of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, and in 2017 it became part of the new Tohiatash district. The village's residents are dominated by ethnic Turkmen, and the village itself, according to Zhumasapar, was a "disputed territory" between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. In 2003, he graduated from 11 classes of secondary school and three years later, like many citizens of Uzbekistan, he left to work in Russia. He worked at construction sites, later as a loader. Came home many times.
“I used to be an atheist,” Zhumasapar says. – In our village, even the mullah does not comply with the norms of Islam, he drinks, walks, explains the Koran incorrectly, the people see it. In 2008, already in Moscow, I became interested in religion, I read a lot about different faiths, even about Hinduism. Settled on Islam. He began to pray, study the Koran ... "
In 2012, Zhumasapar entered the Al Fatiha Sunday Madrasah at the Memorial Mosque on Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow and graduated in 2016. In 2014, he took first place in a competition held among students of the madrasah of the Moscow region.
“They gave me a cup and I flew home with it,” the activist recalls. - In Russia, I had no problems with the police or the FSB. But in Nukus, the cup attracted attention at the airport, and I was detained for a conversation. Thus began my acquaintance with the Uzbek special services. They took note of me. After that, every time I returned from Russia or flew to Moscow, I was stopped and interrogated at the border.” At the same time, the books of the Imam of the Moscow Memorial Mosque, Shamil Alyautdinov, were seized from the luggage at the airport. The expert confirmed that there is nothing forbidden in them. But Zhumasapar was fined for the unauthorized import of religious publications into Uzbekistan by a court decision. “I had to talk to the precinct, criminal investigation department and the prosecutor's office in Khodjeili,” the activist recalls. “The imam of the mosque in the neighboring village also asked several times ... In general, I became famous.”
In May 2016, he again flew to Nukus. At the airport, the border guards confiscated his passport, promising to return it later.
Meanwhile, in the village of Saraikul, an ethnic Uzbek linked to the drug trade raped a Turkmen woman and then took refuge in the home of a member of the National Security Service (SNB). The Turkmen villagers decided to kill him. The conversation about this arose during iftar (breaking the fast during the month of Ramadan, ed.). There were calls to crack down on Uzbek farmers who had resettled from various regions of Uzbekistan. Zhumasapar tried to dissuade fellow villagers: “Uzbeks as a people have nothing to do with it. If you have God, don't touch them. This was done by a drug dealer connected, as you say, with the special services. If you're that tough, go and deal with them." Among those gathered was an informant who reported his words to the authorities. Zhumasapar did not know about it. He was later reminded of this story.
Recruitment in Nukus: more stick than carrot
“On July 22, the district police officer called my brother at home, told me to go to the passport office, saying that my passport is already there,” says Zhumasapar. - Before that, I applied several times for a passport, but each time they answered that I had to wait, there were some problems. After a call from the district police officer, I came to the passport office, they said: “They are waiting for you.” There are about five people standing on the street, Uzbeks, as I later found out, from the National Security Service. All - strangers, not local, they look on me as a terrorist. They said: "Let's go, sit down, show us the policeman's house." In the car, they immediately put on handcuffs and warned: “Be careful, and everything will be fine.” They didn't ask anything. We were taken towards Nukus. On the way, they put a bag over their heads. At the time I thought it was just scary.”
In the capital of Karakalpakstan, a detainee with a sack over his head was taken to the second floor of a building he describes as a "guarded hotel" for security forces. “I don't know exactly where it is,” says Zhumasapar. “Every hour you could hear the trains passing by, which means that the railway is nearby.”
“Two people started talking to me in Uzbek. "How are you, Abdullah?" - they ask. Abdullah is my informal name. "Let's talk. You're a normal, smart guy. We've come here specifically to meet you." "Okay," I replied, "let's talk." After that, the bag was removed from the head. The eldest of them introduced himself as Bakhrom Palvannazarovich, the second did not give his name. Later I learned that Bakhrom works in Tashkent and is closely associated with Rustam Inoyatov” (Head of the National Security Service of Uzbekistan). This went on for three days. Sometimes Karakalpaks from the local branch of the National Security Service came into the room, but only these two had the main “secret” conversation with me alone.
We started with the question: “Do you read namaz?” Then they asked what is a fard (duty) for Muslims, how to distinguish a Muslim from an infidel, etc. They began to call the names of different people in Moscow, some I had never heard of. Said, "I don't know them." After that, Bakhrom immediately began to beat. My hands were handcuffed behind my back, my legs were also handcuffed. From a blow to the head, I fell to the floor, when I tried to get up, they beat me again. One blow to the stomach fell, he could not exhale for a long time. They broke their left hand, still have problems with it. I shouted: “Why are you hitting? What am I, a terrorist? Where in the Constitution is it written? Bakhrom called other people, told them in Uzbek: “Come on, work with him. He doesn't understand our language." They beat me again: first with their hands, then they brought some sticks and with them - on the heels, they also injured my toe. I realized that they want to break my spirit. I used to fight on the street, I tell them: "Let's go one on one, let's see who wins." In response: "Oh, you're cool, right?" and hit again. Of course, there was no medical assistance either then or after, of course.
The beating alternated with psychological treatment. Having found files with the reading of the Koran and Hadiths on the phone of the detainee, the SNB officer said that for these "Islamic videos from ISIS (banned in Russia) you will go to prison." To the objection that there were no extremist materials on the phone, he answered: “Whatever we want, we will do with you, you know.” They offered to “cooperate” with the National Security Service of Uzbekistan, and in case of refusal they threatened to put them in prison for 15 years for “anti-state activities”. They showed a video on the phone - interrogations of "enemies of the state". On one, an Uzbek woman is beaten, she is naked, “wrapped” in the ISIS flag. I ask them: "Where does this flag come from?" Bakhrom replied: "We have whatever you want to eat." On the other, they do something to a man with nails, he screams in pain. It was impossible to watch it."
Bakhrom was the main recruiter.
“He asks me: “Did you want to go to Turkey?” I explained: “I do hijama (medical bloodletting), I can earn money with this, I wanted to study Islam in Istanbul.” In response: “We will let you go abroad. But you will not go to Istanbul, but to Syria.” I refused: “Why do I need Syria?” - "No, you will go where we say."
They beat me up again. Bahrom says: “Be smart, work for us. If Obid-kori had worked with us, he would not be lying like a living corpse now (Obid kori Nazarov is a well-known Uzbek religious figure who fell into a coma after an assassination attempt in February 2012 in Sweden). Do you know about Abdulloh Buhoriy? I personally gave the command to destroy him (an Uzbek religious figure from the Andijan region, his official name was Mirzogolib Khamidov, was shot dead in Istanbul in December 2014). You know, we want to help you. And you help us too. You go to Syria, to ISIS, we will get you a normal job there, you will send information... The Uzbeks who left there are our enemies, terrorists, "Wahhabis". They will be strong in this war. When America leaves Afghanistan in 2025, they will come to us from there and try to stage a coup.”
I said: “I will not go to Syria. There are radicals, their views are wrong, there is no such thing in Islam.” They started beating again, shouting: “You are also a terrorist, a Wahhabi, you are protecting them.” I tried to object: “If they catch me there, they will immediately kill me.” “No,” they say, “if the Syrian military catches you, they will extradite you to Russia, and Russia will give you back to us. Don't worry, this won't happen. You will not be alone there, there are many of ours, some of them work as cooks. If Russia is preparing to bomb, fire, you will be warned in advance. The Red Cross, the UN often come there, sometimes we order them not to stand on ceremony with them, so as not to help the terrorists. Europe, America also help them, and they are our enemies.” They persuaded me in different ways, I won’t say everything, but I’ll go to Syria. I didn't agree.
Then Bakhrom suggested another option: “You will go to Istanbul. In the Zeytinburnu region there is an organization "Ihsan Ilim" (according to the special services, it was created in 2009 with the participation of Abdulloh Bukhoriy, who was suspected of having links with the Jabhat al-Nusra banned in Russia). You will live there, study Islam, the Arabic language as you wish, and tell us from there who goes to Syria, Ukraine, Libya ... Our people also work there, the mullah has a friend, do not be afraid ... ". It turns out that in Zeytinburnu there was a madrasah of Abdullo Bukhoriy. I told them: “Abdullo Bukhoriy is no longer alive. Why should I go there? I will not go". They beat me again."
During this conversation, a conversation arose about the events in Turkey. On July 15, a week before Zhumasapar was detained, an attempted coup took place in this country. From the activist’s story, it is clear that the Uzbek special services had a negative attitude towards Erdogan, accusing him of having links with ISIS.
“About the coup attempt, Bahrom said: “It’s good, the Turks will soon start a war in Syria. They will return all of our terrorists and Wahhabis who have gathered there, and you will not get away from us, if anything.”
The conversation resumed the next day. “Bakhrom suggested: “If you refuse to go to Syria or Turkey, stay in Karakalpakstan. There is an opposition movement "Alga Karakalpakstan" here. It is headed by the terrorist Aman Sagidullayev, who fled abroad. The Karakalpaks now want to secede from Uzbekistan, oppose the sterilization of women... Find out who supports them, who is associated with them and let us know. You are a Turkmen, not a Karakalpak. If the Karakalpaks rise, there will be problems for the Turkmens too ”(The underground movement Alga Karakalpakstan, which advocates the independence of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, began to gain popularity starting in 2014 and two years later it was transformed into an unregistered party. Its founder and leader Aman Sagidullayev in 2016 received asylum in Norway). This is how I first heard about Aman Sagidullaev. I tell them: “What do you offer me? If tomorrow the Karakalpaks gain independence, they find out that I worked for you, they will simply kill you, and then there will be problems between the Turkmens and the Karakalpaks.” Bakhrom replied: “They will never gain independence (the Constitution guarantees the right of the Republic of Karakalpakstan to secede from Uzbekistan by referendum). But if they are supported by European or American intelligence services, then NATO will deploy its bases here, everyone will have many problems.” I refused again and was beaten again.
I thought: if I don’t agree to something, the SNB officers will put me in jail. It is necessary to deceive them, give consent, and then run away and never return to Uzbekistan. He suggested: “Let me go to Moscow, I already lived there, and I will inform you about those who sell drugs.” Bakhrom liked the agreement to “work” with the SNB, but he rejected my offer: “We already know about drug dealers. You better tell us about those who read namaz, who are associated with Bakhrom Khamroev (an Uzbek human rights activist who sharply criticizes the authorities of Uzbekistan, has lived in Moscow since 1992, a member of the Human Rights Center "Memorial"). Are you familiar with him? Do you know about the nationalist movement “Moscow Uzbeklari” (Uzbeks of Moscow)? Maybe you heard - there is such Usman Baratov (probably the founder of the Uzbek community "Vatandosh" is meant)? We are also interested in his connections with the Temuriylar (Timurid) group.” He asked about Abdullah, unknown to me. He spoke about some people: such and such is a Wahhabi, such and such is a Sufi. I say, "No, I don't know." I had no connection with the Uzbeks on such matters. But he had contacts in the diaspora. When he did hijama (bleeding), he went to many people, did it for free to those who are poor.
At the time when I was studying at a madrasah in Moscow, Fazyl, an Uzbek, a citizen of Russia, sometimes came there, I think he comes from Namangan. Fazyl, a well-known nationalist, an opponent of Karimov, was not associated with religious groups at that time. One day in January 2015 or 2016, he invited me to plov. Bakhrom Khamroev came there, we got to know each other. Bakhrom said that he is a human rights activist, defends the rights of Muslims and other people, opposes the dictatorship ... I was not interested. But it turns out that there was an agent among six or seven Uzbeks, and when I returned to Karakalpakstan, the special services already knew about the conversation over pilaf. They said that they needed to catch Fazyl and “deal with Bakhrom” as well.
In general, after my agreement to “cooperate”, the conversation moved in a different direction. The handcuffs were removed, I could walk around the room back and forth.
I agreed, only to escape. I thought that they would soon be sent to Moscow, but it turned out to be not so simple. To begin with, under the dictation of Bakhrom Palvannazarovich, I wrote a statement that I, Zhumasapar Dadebaev, was ready to work for the National Security Service of Uzbekistan under the nickname "Akbar". They made me read it in front of a video camera. They promised that there would be “bonuses” of $200 for “each person” (I don’t remember exactly how it was said now). They gave me blank sheets of paper for me to sign. They say at the same time: “Do not be offended, we believe you, but earlier some also agreed to cooperate, and then tried to escape. One such deceived us: he wanted to give an interview in Moscow to Ozodlik (the Uzbek service of Radio Liberty), but he was handed over to us, caught and deported to Uzbekistan, now in prison ... At the western stations that are transmitted to Uzbekistan, our people work, although it’s not possible to agree with everyone there ... In general, don’t be a fool, if necessary, we can find you everywhere.
They kept me in this place for three days. The windows were closed, it was impossible to look out into the street. Before the release, they said that they would soon be called to Tashkent to prepare for the assignment. Bakhrom instructed me to collect information about the Alga Karakalpakstan movement during these days and report back upon arrival. He gave money to the phone, said: “Take a SIM card, call your friends in Russia (named four names: Fazyl, Muslim, Pulat and Iqbol), find out where they are, then tell us.” Later I made several calls to Moscow, but without success.
On Sunday, July 24, 2016, after lunch, they took me to the outskirts of the village, dropped me off there and said that no one should see us together.”
(to be continued)
01/18/2022
Немає коментарів:
Дописати коментар