Conviction of Uzbek rights activist in Russia arouses colleagues' criticism

Bakhrom Khamroyev's conviction for terrorism-related activities was based on fabricated charges, say other rights activists, adding that such practices are a common tool for repressing Muslims in Russia.

By Rustam Temirov

2023-06-19

On May 23, the 2nd Western District Military Court in Moscow sentenced human rights activist Bakhrom Khamroyev to 14 years in prison. Courts in Vladimir Putin's Russia are locking up rights activists, according to the graphic. [Caravanserai]

TASHKENT -- The conviction of Uzbek human rights activist Bakhrom Khamroyev by a Russian court has come under fire by observers who say the charges were fabricated.

The 2nd Western District Military Court in Moscow on May 23 sentenced Khamroyev to 14 years in prison on charges of "justifying terrorism" and "participation in terrorist activities".

Khamroyev used his personal Facebook page to post materials related to the activities of Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT), according to the Federal Security Service (FSB). HT is an Islamic political party banned in Russia.

Khamroyev was arrested in February 2022 on the original charge of justifying terrorism. The FSB in October brought the second charge of participation in terrorist activities, apparently for Khamroyev's efforts in representing the defendants in terrorism cases.

Bakhrom Khamroyev, pictured here, previously headed Yordam ('Help'), a foundation that provides legal and social support to immigrants. He was a member of Memorial International. [Facebook]

Several Russian human rights organisations, such as Memorial, Civic Assistance, and the Human Rights Institute, argue that Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT) is not a terrorist group. The graphic notes the legal fates of members of HT who went on trial in Russia, as of May 31 and as compiled by Memorial International. Courts sentenced 121 of them to 10 to 15 years in prison and 110 others to 15 years or more in prison. The column on right lists the numbers of suspects who as of May 31 were still going thru the legal process, were wanted, had finished their sentences, died in prison or were acquitted. [Caravanserai]

Khamroyev previously headed Yordam ("Help"), a foundation that provides legal and social support to immigrants.

A native of Uzbekistan, he was a member of Memorial International, a human rights organisation. The Russian Supreme Court in February 2022 ordered the shutdown of Memorial International.

Khamroyev had been working in human rights in Russia since 1992. More recently, his work has focused on defending the rights of Central Asian immigrants and Russian Muslims.

The charges against Khamroyev were not the first.

In 2020, Russian authorities accused him of falsely registering foreigners to live in Russia. They later dropped the charge.

While HT is banned in Russia and Central Asian states, human rights groups have maintained that its practices do not constitute terrorism and that it holds that Islam should be spread only through sermons.

"Groundless accusations of belonging to [HT] are a widespread practice in Russia and Crimea, a common tool for repressing Muslims," Memorial said in a statement last October on the FSB's allegations against Khamroyev.

"We emphasise that no law of the Russian Federation prohibits human rights activities or complaints and statements to law enforcement agencies and international organisations," it said.

The new charge "against Khamroyev directly contradicts the Russian constitution and our country's international obligations. Such blatant disregard for the law by the Russian authorities has become the norm."

Fabricated charges

The accusations against Khamroyev are absurd and delusional, said Valentina Chupik, a rights activist now in the United States.

"He indeed defended members of [HT], but he himself was not one. What's more, [HT] is an extremist, but not a terrorist, organisation," Chupik told Caravanserai.

Khamroyev regularly registered migrants at his apartment in an effort to legalise them but he did not let them stay there, she added.

The court presented no evidence and convicted Khamroyev because he worked at Memorial and simultaneously did something that Russian authorities despise -- providing legal defence to migrants from Central Asian countries, according to Dmitry Dubrovsky, a professor of social sciences at Charles University in Prague.

"And at the same time he defended [HT] members, who are considered terrorists in Russia ... but they have not been shown to be involved in any terrorist acts, especially in the Russian Federation," Dubrovsky told Caravanserai."

"There is not a single piece of evidence," he said.

The court's sentence is outrageous, said Dubrovsky, who added that the court's expert witness is notorious for coming up with sham opinions.

Khamroyev only expressed his human rights position in relation to those being persecuted for their religious beliefs, according to Dubrovsky.

Pulat Akhunov, an Uzbek politician living in Sweden, called the accusations against Khamroev farfetched and even fabricated.

"With the start of the war [in February 2022] against Ukraine, the authorities have wanted to suppress any and all of Khamroyev's activities, which clearly contradict their goals, especially since he had influence with immigrants," Akhunov told Caravanserai.

"We've written to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's administration, to the prosecutor's office, to the Investigative Committee and the FSB -- but there's no point."

"Only the end of this regime will bring freedom to Bakhrom Khamroyev," said Akhunov.