Winner of Golden Pen'2004 Award of the World Association of Newspapers, laureate of Freedom of Expression'2004 Award, recipient of Human Rights Watch and IWPR grants, journalist, human rights activist Ruslan Sharipov departed Uzbekistan in October 2004, fleeing prosecution at the hands of the vindictive Uzbek authorities.

Sharipov left Uzbekistan to find freedom abroad. Professional respect from colleagues did not save the political refugee from problems with finding a job and place to live. His "freedom quest" brought him from Uzbek prison to American.

More then two years of immigration behind him, Sharipov decided to go back to Uzbekistan. Official Tashkent’s reaction is not known so far. Uzbek Consulate in New York is taking its time, reviewing the journalist's case. Sharipov claims in the meantime that there is no longer that freedom in the United States that everybody is seeking.

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Ferghana.Ru: What did you expect upon coming to the United States? Where did you live? What did you do all this time?

Ruslan Sharipov: I've been living at my brother's place in Sacramento, California. I'm the only one from my family who is still not given Green Card by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Therefore I cannot find a job and I do not even know where I am going to live once my brother departs for Europe - and that will be soon. My work permit expired in 2005.

I hoped to continue my human rights and journalistic activities in USA. I applied to several foundations working on Central Asian region. Representative of the Soros Foundation, for example, after rejecting my project wrote that I could not do much being so far from Uzbekistan and that there were already a lot of other projects in the internet monitoring situation in Uzbekistan.

Ferghana.Ru: Did you find any friends in the United States?

Ruslan Sharipov: I'm staying in touch with my colleagues and international organizations. Though many of my friends are back in Uzbekistan and I miss them.

Ferghana.Ru: What's the general impression of America?

Ruslan Sharipov: The Americans are very great people. However, problems at the government level: medical services and orthodontist care for the middle layers of the population, poverty and the growing number of the homeless can’t remain unnoticed... California is the record-holder in the number of homeless.

Ferghana.Ru: Why would you leave now?

Ruslan Sharipov: One would think that the Americans, having known freedom and democracy first hand, will never put up with any encroachment on their rights. George W. Bush Administration, however, keeps encroaching on the basic rights of the people. Now they can listen to conversations over phone and reading e-mails of anyone suspected of terrorism, even US citizens themselves. They don’t even bother about court warrants demanded by the acting legislation.

Refugees found life particularly hard when all their affairs were transferred to the Homeland Security in 2003. It caused big concern among international organizations. Therefore “Human Rights First” with headquarters in New York and Washington has even urged the US Department of Homeland Security to take steps to ensure that refugees and asylum seekers are treated appropriately across the Department’s various different bureaus.

I had to meet with DHS officials more than once myself. The last time I was interviewed on the matter of the Green Card, the DHS officer questioned me if I was involved in espionage. It seems like national security interests more important for George W Bush administration then life of refugees from Uzbekistan.

Here is another example. I was invited to San-Isidro in California not long ago. That's a town located on the border with Mexico. I do not know why but the Greyhound bus driver missed the San-Isidro (California) stop and crossed the border into Mexico. Without the Green Card, I'm not supposed to leave the American territory. I asked the driver what the matter was and why he crossed the border to Mexico without a stop in San-Isidro. He had my ticket and he knew that I needed to get off. Moreover the bus was supposed to have 10-minutes lay over in San-Isidro, CA before making it across the border.

Trying to get back to the American territory, I told Homeland Security officers that I had been taken into Mexico against my will and displayed my ticket as a prove of my destination to San Ysidro, CA. However chief officer of the shift ordered to show me exit to Mexico, saying that it was my problem. When I made next attempt to return to United States I was detained by Homeland Security officers and placed into the room with no windows. My requests to contact family members were denied. DHS officers were rude while interrogating me and demand me to tell them names and addresses of those who invited me to San Ysidro. They also requested me to tell why I was going to meet those people including date and place I got to know them. Thus, US Homeland Security may so easy interfere into one’s personal life and just get away with it.

As you see the treatment to refugees from George Bush’s Administration is cruel. I believe it’s important at least to help refugees with elementary assistance to find job, medical services and legalization.

When my arm was broken (fracture of scaphoid bone), it was a real shock for me when in Sacramento emergency room instead of putting cast on it; they put just temporarily splint and told me to go through special procedure for the poor people because I did not have medical. They said I would be helped in the clinic for people with low or no income and meet specialist there. Only three days later they put cast on my hand but never ever I was given possibility to see specialist.

Ferghana.Ru: Why do you think Andijan refugees are going back to Uzbekistan from USA?

Ruslan Sharipov: Every case is different but from my personal experience I can witness how difficult it can be for a refugee in the United States nowadays. I'd say, however, that the question should be phrased differently. Why is it that refugees are not going back to Uzbekistan from European countries where they were also granted asylum Andijan events?

Ferghana.Ru: Did you talk to Uzbek Consulate? Did they give you any answer yet?

Ruslan Sharipov: Yes, I talked to Uzbek Consulate about going back to Uzbekistan. I was requested to write a letter about possibility of going back to Uzbekistan. If they decide that I can go back to Uzbekistan there is a special procedure I have to go through. I will have to apply for going back Uzbekistan that includes applying for certificate and filling in other documents. So far they only consider if I can go back or not.

Ferghana.Ru: What if you are going back only to encounter persecution there again? What are you going to do in Uzbekistan?

Ruslan Sharipov: I do not know what will happen to me in Uzbekistan. Unfortunately, after more then two years that I live in USA, I have the impression that the US Administration doesn’t care about Uzbek refugees. In any case, I would like to resume my human rights and journalistic activities when I'm back in Uzbekistan. I've been missing Tashkent and my friends.