Islam Karimov
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| Islom Karimov Ислом Каримов |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 24 March 1990 |
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| Prime Minister | Abdulxashim Mutalov O‘tkir Sultonov Shavkat Mirziyoyev |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
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| In office 23 June 1989 – 29 December 1991 |
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| Preceded by | Rafiq Nishonov |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
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| Born | 30 January 1938 Samarkand, Soviet Union (now Uzbekistan) |
| Political party | People's Democratic Party (1991–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Communist Party (before 1991) |
| Spouse(s) | Tatyana Karimova |
| Religion | Islam[1] |
Islom Abdug‘aniyevich Karimov (Cyrillic Uzbek: Ислом Абдуғаниевич Каримов; Russian: Ислам Абдуганиевич Каримов Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov) (born on January 30, 1938) has ruled as the President of Uzbekistan since 1991.
Karimov was born in an orphanage in Samarkand, Uzbek SSR, Soviet Union, growing up to study economics and engineering at university. A lot of facts of his childhood are hidden. His father was a Jewesh and mother Tajik. But some say that his father was Iranian. He grew up in children internat, but was taken out by his parents when he was 13. His first wife was jewesh, and he has a son who lives and works in Moscow nowadays. His name is Petr. Islam Karimov cut all his relationship with his relatives, and two years ago he arrested his nephew who was living in city Jizzah. People living in Uzbekistan say that Karimov has the same system and strategy as Stalin. Everything is under his control.
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[edit] Rise to power
Karimov became an official in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, becoming the party's First Secretary in Uzbekistan in 1989. On March 24, 1990 he became President of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. He declared Uzbekistan an independent nation on August 31, 1991. He won Uzbekistan's first presidential election on December 29 with 86% of the vote. The elections were called unfair, with state-run propaganda and a falsified vote count, although the opposing candidate and leader of the Erk (Freedom) Party, Muhammad Salih, had a chance to participate.
[edit] Presidency
In 1995, Karimov extended his term until 2000 through a widely criticized referendum. He was re-elected with 91.9% of the vote on 9 January, 2000. The United States said that this election "was neither free nor fair and offered Uzbekistan's voters no true choice"[2]. The sole opposition candidate, Abdulhafiz Jalalov, implicitly admitted that he entered the race only to make it seem democratic and publicly stated that he voted for Karimov.
After the September 11, 2001 attacks Uzbekistan was considered a strategic ally in the United States' "War on Terrorism" campaign because of a mutual opposition to the Taliban. Uzbekistan hosted an 800-strong U.S. troop presence at the Karshi-Khanabad base, also known as "K2", which supported U.S.-led efforts in the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan.[3] This move was criticized by Human Rights Watch which said the U.S. government subordinated the promotion of human rights to assistance in the War in Afghanistan. U.S.-Uzbek relations deteriorated in May 2005 when Karimov's government strongly encouraged the abandonment of the U.S. base in the face of U.S. government criticism of the protests in Andijan. In July 2005 U.S. military forces left Karshi-Khanabad.[4]
Karimov was mobilized against the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and Hizb-ut-Tahrir, Islamist organizations that the government has designated as terrorist.[5]. The Uzbek government sentenced Tohir Yo‘ldosh and Juma Namangani, leaders of the IMU, to death in absentia.[6] Namangani died in Afghanistan in 2001, and Tohir Yo‘ldosh was killed in an air strike on August 27, 2009.[7] Though the Uzbekistani constitution protects the separation of religion and state, the Karimov regime has marginalized politically dissident Muslims and religious leaders who critique its human rights abuses through rhetoric of “anti-terrorism.” From 1991 to 2004, the government has imprisoned over 7,000 Uzbeks for “Islamist extremism,” and silenced Imams like Muhammad Rajab, who advocated for more open democracy in the early 1990s.
Karimov sought another term in the December 2007 presidential election, despite arguments that he was ineligible due to the two-term limit on the presidency. On November 6, 2007, Karimov accepted the nomination of the Uzbekistan Liberal Democratic Party to run for a third term.[8] On November 19, the Central Election Commission announced the approval of Karimov's candidacy,[9] a decision that Karimov's opponents condemned as illegal.[10]
Following the election on 23 December, preliminary official results showed Karimov winning with 88.1% of the vote, on a turnout rate that was placed at 90.6%. Observers from groups allied to the Karimov administration such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Commonwealth of Independent States gave the election a positive assessment.[11] However, observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe criticized the election as lacking a "genuine choice," while others deemed the election, a "political charade,"[12] given that all three of Karimov's rivals began their campaign speeches by singing Karimov's praises.[13]
[edit] Human rights and press freedom
The international community has repeatedly criticized the Karimov administration's record on human rights and press freedom. In particular, Craig Murray, the British Ambassador from 2002 to 2004, wrote about financial corruption and human rights abuses during his term in office and later in his memoirs Murder in Samarkand [14], pointing to reports of boiling people to death. The United Nations found torture "institutionalized, systematic, and rampant" in Uzbekistan's judicial system.[15] For several years, Parade Magazine has selected Karimov for being one of the world's worst dictators, citing to his tactics of torture, media censorship, and fake elections. [16]
In response, the Uzbek government criticized Craig Murray for not behaving like a genuine British ambassador. It informally stated that diplomacy is more about mutual compromise rather than one-handed harsh criticism. The British government replaced Craig Murray in 2005.[citation needed]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Karimov's biography
- ^ US slams Uzbek election as unfree, unfair and laughable EurasiaNet
- ^ Khanabad, Uzbekistan Karshi-Kanabad (K2) Airbase Camp Stronghold Freedom Global Security
- ^ US asked to leave Uzbek air base BBC News
- ^ Bombings and Shootings Rock Uzbekistan Yale Global Online
- ^ Latest in a Series of Show Trials Condemns Peaceful Opposition Along with Militants Human Rights Watch
- ^ Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) CNS
- ^ "Islam Karimov agreed to remain the president another seven years". Ferghana.ru. http://enews.ferghana.ru/article.php?id=2216. Retrieved 2007-11-13.
- ^ "Uzbek Election Watchdog Clears Karimov For Third Term", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, November 19, 2007.
- ^ Shukhrat Babajanov, "Uzbekistan: Official Acquiescence In Karimov Presidential Bid Draws Fire", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, November 21, 2007.
- ^ "Uzbek Incumbent Wins Presidential Poll Without 'Genuine Choice'", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 24 December 2007.
- ^ Torture, an iron fist and twisted logic set stage for Islam Karimov's landslide victory - Times Online
- ^ Uzbek Leader’s Re-Election Dismissed as Charade
- ^ Craig Murray. Murder in Samarkand. 2006. [ISBN 978-1845961947]
- ^ Civil and political rights, including the questions of torture and detention United Nations Economic and Social Council
- ^ Islam Karimov Uzbekistan: The World's Worst Dictators-2007 | PARADE Magazine
[edit] External links
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Rafiq Nishonov |
General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Uzbek SSR 1989 – 1991 |
Succeeded by Office abolished |
| Preceded by Office created |
President of Uzbekistan 1991–present |
Incumbent |
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