Press Release
The Uzbek Government Wants to Imprison 39 Former Political Prisoners for Many More Years
(Translated)

We warn our Muslim people that black clouds are gathering over our heads! We call on them to be vigilant, warning against the return of the shameful era of evil described as the “garbage regime”!

O Muslims in Uzbekistan! Do you know that among you are pious and sincere young men who have spent many years of their lives in prisons, in cells full of dampness, in inhumane conditions filled with psychological and physical pressures, because of their saying, “Our Lord is Allah”?! They are Shabab (men) who were imprisoned for many years on trumped-up and false charges and were victims of the oppressive machine of the unjust Karimov regime in 1999-2000. As if this was not enough, when those years of their imprisonment ended, new sentences were added to them with different and fabricated excuses. During the reign of Mirziyoyev, who came to power after the gruesome death of the tyrant Karimov, he began releasing those whose sentences had expired from prison one by one. When Mirziyoyev, in one of his speeches, criticized Karimov's regime and described it as a "garbage regime," his statement sparked a glimmer of hope for our people. However, it seems that this hope came in vain today! At the beginning of this year, a group of these oppressed Muslim Shabab were arrested, who almost lost their health as they spent the flower of their youth in prisons. This time, during their investigation, they were subjected to false charges and torture, to the point that one of them was threatened to rape his wife in front of him, and another was threatened to imprison his son if he did not sign the papers…The Security Department employees dealt inhumanely with our brothers who were arrested in the first month of this year. The trial of 23 of these Shabab began on May 9. It was recently leaked that the public prosecutor requested that they be sentenced to prison terms ranging from 7 to 17 years. It should be noted that these 23 Shabab spent a total of 407 years in prison, and new terms were added to them 43 times! However, the current Uzbek government seems to believe that this is not enough. It seems that they will decide to re-imprison and sentence them for many years on various trumped-up charges. Likewise, 16 former political prisoners from different regions of our country were brought to Tashkent and investigations began with them. There is no guarantee that what happened with the previous 23 Shabab will not be repeated with them as well. The situation is very dangerous and worrying!

Injustice has emerged in our society, and such heinous acts are directed at silencing the truth. But what is most surprising is that none of the local and foreign media, hungry for hype, publish news of these aforementioned trials nor of these extensive investigations, which should attract the attention of the entire public. It seems that the government is trying to hide the trial of these men from the eyes of the people and solve the case like pulling a hair out of thin air in the blink of an eye! Perhaps the government is trying to please its “big brothers” such as the Russians, and is trying to hide from the people its shameful behavior in the footsteps of the tyrant Karimov’s regime.

By the way, the Shabab (men) whose cases are being heard before the court were previously accused of being members of Hizb ut Tahrir, the Islamic political party and were imprisoned for many years under Articles 159 and 244 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan. So far, most of them have stated that they consider the Hizb’s idea and method correct. It is natural that every sincere believer who listens to the call of Hizb ut Tahrir accepts and supports these ideas. In fact, the Hizb has been calling on the Islamic Ummah to resume the Islamic way of life by establishing the Khilafah (Caliphate) for 70 years, and it will continue to do so, Allah willing...Also, honest people who know the Hizb confirm that it does not use force to achieve its goals, and has absolutely nothing to do with extremism and terrorism, as repressive governments claim. They also know that the Hizb's method is an intellectual struggle and political struggle, and its only weapon is thought. Regimes unable to withstand this intellectual and political struggle have no choice but to use force to silence voices, imprisonment, torture, harassment, and even physical liquidation.

Demanding the imprisonment of these young men for periods ranging from 7 to 17 years, who place the interests of the Ummah above their own interests, and who are determined to carry the message without waiting for anything but the pleasure of Allah, is extremely malicious and terrible. However, the Public Prosecutor does not demand such harsh punishment for the real criminals who cause serious harm to our society, such as murderers, rapists, corrupt people, bribe takers, thieves and fraudsters. Every sane person who reads the indictment directed against these twenty-three Muslim Shabab will realize that they are not criminals at all. In fact, the indictment is clear evidence that they are innocent and not criminals.

We call to our Muslim people not to be indifferent to the fate of these pious, reformist Shabab men who are your Muslim brothers! Support them and protect them, or at least pray for them! And do not forget that you will certainly be held accountable tomorrow before Allah for what you did to these oppressed people!

We warn the Uzbek government against following the shameful path of the tyrant Karimov's regime! We also warn it not to be afflicted by the prayers of the fathers, mothers, sons, husbands, and relatives of these oppressed young people, and the prayers of the general Muslims who stand behind them! Injustice never illuminates the path of the oppressor, but injustice is darkness on the Day of Resurrection! The Prophet (saw) said: «اتَّقُوا الظُّلْمَ فَإِنَّ الظُّلْمَ ظُلُمَاتٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ»“Beware of oppression, for oppression will turn into excessive darkness on the Day of Resurrection and beware of niggardliness, for niggardliness destroyed your predecessors.” Narrated by Muslim.”

We warn you that Allah Almighty is delaying the severe punishment for this major crime for a difficult day. For the Day of Resurrection. But the oppressors will certainly see the painful consequence of their injustice in this world as well in response to the call of the oppressed, for there is no veil between it and Allah, and the torment of the Hereafter is more severe and shameful. Allah Almighty says:

[وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ اللهَ غَافِلاً عَمَّا يَعْمَلُ الظَّالِمُونَ إِنَّمَا يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ تَشْخَصُ فِيهِ الْأَبْصَارُ]

“Do not think ˹O Prophet˺ that Allah is unaware of what the wrongdoers do. He only delays them until a Day when ˹their˺ eyes will stare in horror.” [Ibrahim 14:42].

Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir
in Uzbekistan