Jahongir Sidikov facing deportation for torture on Wednesday 28th November

Uznews.net – Jahongir Sidikov, a 27-year-old refugee from Uzbekistan who has tried to find asylum in Britain, may be deported to Uzbekistan this Wednesday.

A group of activists from Uzbekistan who represents various public organisations are trying the prevent the deportation of Jahongir Sidikov to Uzbekistan, saying that he will face an immediate arrest, trumped-up charges, torture and even death in his homeland.

They explained their concerns by the fact that Sidikov was a member of the opposition Erk party and took part in a number of protest actions in London to demand freedom from Islam Karimov’s dictatorship for Uzbekistan.

Shahida Yakub, the head of the Uzbekistan Initiative-London organisation, said that a group of Uzbek democrats, including Sidikov, staged a rally outside the Uzbek embassy in London in May 2006 on the anniversary of the bloody massacre in Andijan.

During the entire course of the rally, Yakub said, an unidentified man, presumably, a staff member of the Uzbek embassy, filmed the rally and it is possible that this film was sent to Uzbekistan.

“Jahongir will be arrested upon arrival in Uzbekistan. His participation in the rally is enough for the Uzbek authorities to do so,” Yakub said.

The former British ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray, has also tried to prevent Sidikov’s deportation to Uzbekistan, but, Murray said, he failed to achieve any result.

The European Court of Human Rights, which could stop Sidikov’s deportation in line with Article 39 of its code, has turned down an appeal made on Sidikov’s behalf for reasons unknown to Murray.

“I am deeply depressed,” Murray wrote in his blog. “How on Earth can we consider deporting dissidents back to Uzbekistan?” the former ambassador asked. “Do ministers not know what happens in that country, or do they just not care?”

Jahongir Sidikov came to London to study at the City University in 1999, and after graduation decided to seek political asylum in Britain.

His application was turned down because an English judge found his statement about repressions he would face upon return to Uzbekistan unconvincing.

Sidikov is now in detention at London’s Heathrow airport. He had to be deported as early as on 21 November, but his deportation was postponed until 28 November because his health condition seriously worsened.