Press Center of the Initiative Group of Independent Human Rights Activists quotes trustworthy sources as saying that wardens of Special Colony 64/21 near Bekabad (Tashkent region) torture inmates, former officers of law enforcement agencies.

Sentenced to imprisonment under Article 273 (illegal possession of drugs with the intent to sell), former military prosecutor of the Surhandarja region Bahtijer Hasanov died after torture on April 5. Human rights activists believe that the case against Hasanov was fabricated. The Initiative Group of Independent Human Rights Activists maintains that Hasanov was tortured by another inmate, colony steward Kuldosh Jurayev on orders from Deputy Chief Warden Jashid Rusulov.

The Initiative Group of Independent Human Rights Activists claims that Chief Warden Sulton Muminov ordered physical extermination of the following inmates:

Bekjon Ortikov - citizen of Kyrgyzstan,

Nigmatulla Rahimi - citizen of Afghanistan,

Shukrullo Gafar ugli - citizen of Afghanistan,

Muhamejan Rasulov - citizen of Uzbekistan, and

Kabiljon Tulashev - citizen of Uzbekistan.

The human rights community maintains that these inmates were marked for extermination for complaints to international human rights organizations.

* * *

Initiative Group of Independent Human Rights Activists