PRESS-RELEASE

UZBEK JOURNALIST BOBOMUROD ABDULLAEV, HELD IN TURKEY, FILES LAWSUITS FOR HIS RELEASE AND FOR THE ANNULMENT OF UNLAWFUL PROCEEDINGS AGAINST HIM

The journalist and researcher from Uzbekistan, Bobomurod Abdullaev, who had come to Turkey to be with his children studying here, was detained without explanation by the Eskişehir Provincial Directorate of Migration Management and the Eskişehir Provincial Security Directorate when he went to inquire about his residence permit, which he had not received despite being informed that his application had been accepted. On April 26, 2023, he was taken to the İzmir Removal Center, where administrative measures for "deportation and administrative supervision" were taken against him without any concrete reason being given. The administrative supervision and deportation decision, made without any concrete reason, were illegal under both national and international law. Through his lawyers, Bobomurod Abdullaev appealed the administrative supervision decision of the İzmir Provincial Directorate of Migration Management to the court and demanded his immediate release, while also filing separate lawsuits in Eskişehir and Ankara against the deportation and restriction decisions.

In the lawsuit petitions, concerns and demands were raised regarding the human rights situation in Uzbekistan and the possibility that he could be subjected to torture and a violation of his right to life and fair trial if he were deported to Uzbekistan. Bobmurod Abdullaev's family, lawyers, and human rights organizations are urgently calling for his immediate release and the annulment of the illegal procedures. Bobomurod Abdullaev is a well-known journalist, researcher, and public intellectual who conducts research, prepares publications, and shares his assessments on current developments with the public. He has worked for international press organizations such as the Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, TÜRKİSTAN PRESS, and the Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations. He has websites, blogs, and YouTube channels (@faktvafikr2021) where he shares news reports, case commentaries, and analyses within the framework of press freedom and freedom of expression. He is a well-known figure in Uzbekistan, Asia, and the Turkic Republics.

Bobomurod Abdullaev is a journalist and writer in Uzbekistan who is dedicated to promoting human rights and ancient Turkic traditions in his country.

He writes articles, conducts research, and produces works of art to achieve this goal. His main focus is to research the ancient Turkic state tradition and update the political sciences and achievements that come from the Turkic tradition in the Turkic republics, to carry them into the present and future. As one of his works, he has prepared a book on a state model and constitution that follows the ancient Turkic tradition.

He also runs a special political dictionary project that translates contemporary political concepts and institutions into the Oghuz Turkic language, while also incorporating words and concepts from the ancient Turkic tradition. In addition, he is working on a book that tells the stories of heroes who lived among Turks who traveled and lived from the Far East to Alaska. The hero stories are intended for his community and future generations to learn from. His academic-level research is eagerly awaited by academic circles.

Through his books, essays, and video presentations, Bobomurod Abdullaev describes the ideal of a country based on human rights, justice, religion, and belief, which is rooted in ancient traditions and is free from ideological or sectarian propaganda and influences, especially in his own country of Uzbekistan and the Turkic republics. He has been critical of the Islam Karimov regime in Uzbekistan and his work has been a subject of controversy.

As a result, he was arrested in Uzbekistan in 2017 and faced trial. During his detention, he was subjected to severe physical and psychological torture and mistreatment. He was charged with thought crimes based solely on his news articles and shared opinions. This situation was reflected in the international public opinion, and he was eventually released. In 08.10.2020, Abdullaev was detained in Kyrgyzstan and, at the request of the Uzbek special services, was extradited to Uzbekistan. After pressure from the international community, he was released.

This press release was issued on May 4th, 2023 by Bobomurod Abdullaev's family.