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Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov (30 January 1938 – 2 September 2016) was an Uzbekistani politician who served as the first president of Uzbekistan, from the country's independence in 1991 until his death in 2016. He was the last First Secretary of the Communist Party of Uzbekistan from 1989 to 1991, when the party was reconstituted as the People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (O‘zXDP); he led the O‘zXDP until 1996. He was the President of the Uzbek SSR from 24 March 1990 until he declared the independence of Uzbekistan on 1 September 1991.Hierman, Brent (2016). Russia and Eurasia 2016-2017. The World Today Series, 47th edition. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. . p. 314.
He declared Uzbekistan as an independent nation on 31 August 1991. He subsequently won the presidential election on 29 December 1991, with 86% of the vote. Foreign observers and the opposition cited voting irregularities, alleging state-run propaganda and a falsified vote count. Karimov's first presidential term was extended to 2000 by way of a referendum, and he was re-elected in 2000, 2007 and 2015, each time receiving over 90% of the vote. He died from a stroke on 2 September 2016, after being president of the country for 25 years.
He ruled a repressive Authoritarianism regime in Uzbekistan where political opponents were assassinated, human rights were repressed, and dissent was prohibited; however, capital punishment was repealed in 2008.
From 1966 to 1986, he worked his way up the ranks in the Uzbek State Planning Committee, from chief specialist, to department head, to Minister of Finance of the Uzbek SSR, chairman of the State Planning Committee and deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Uzbek SSR. In 1986, Karimov assumed the post of first secretary of the Kashkadarya Regional Committee of the Communist Party of Uzbekistan Committee of the Communist Party of the Uzbek SSR. In 1989, he became first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Uzbek SSR, after his predecessor Rafiq Nishonov failed to quell inter-ethnic clashes and instability in the Fergana Region.Gulsen Aydin, Orta Dogu Teknik Universitesi, "Authoritarianism versus democracy in Uzbekistan: domestic and international factors" , (Ankara: METU, 2004). From 1990 to 1991, he served as a member of the Central Committee and Politburo. On 24 March 1990, he was elected the first President of the Republic by the Uzbek Supreme Soviet.
On 31 August 1991, 10 days after the attempted coup in Moscow, Karimov declared Uzbekistan to be an independent republic, the second of the Central Asian republics to do so (after neighboring Kyrgyzstan); 1 September was declared Uzbekistan's Independence Day. The Uzbek Communist Party (UCP) changed its name to the People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (O‘zXDP). In the December 1991 presidential election, 86 percent of the public cast their votes for Karimov and 12.3 percent for his rival Muhammad Salih, chairman of the Erk (Freedom) Party.
In 1992, he accomplished the hajj.
Under the Karimov government, a heavy regulation policy of NGOs led to the creation of paradoxically named GONGOs, or Government-Organised Non-Governmental Organisations. Trade unions became "an instrument of management rather than a means of interest group-based collective bargaining". The Karimov government required universities to serve a strictly pedagogical purpose and not as a branch of civil society;Bohr, p. 73. they had to provide students with skills for the workplace without an emphasis on the skill of critique of public issues.
Karimov mobilized against the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and Hizb ut-Tahrir, two Islamism organizations which have been designated as terrorist by his government. Bombings and Shootings Rock Uzbekistan Yale Global Online The Uzbek government sentenced Tohir Yoʻldosh and Juma Namangani, leaders of the IMU, to death in absentia. Latest in a Series of Show Trials Condemns Peaceful Opposition Along with Militants Human Rights Watch Namangani died in Afghanistan in 2001, and Tohir Yoʻldosh was killed in an air strike on 27 August 2009. Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) CNS. From 1991 to 2004, the government imprisoned over 7,000 Uzbeks for "Islamist extremism", and silenced Imams like Muhammad Rajab, who advocated for more open democracy in the early 1990s. These fears of extremism arose out of discourse among the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) of a "Jihad against the Karimov regime". The government of Uzbekistan retains fears of "large-scale all-encompassing anti-state conspiracies" and "echoes of Basmachi" Among Karimov's anti-Islamist policies was the purge of Muslim leaders. Karimov led a crackdown on Adolat, a league of Muslim activists. Explicit fears of threats of Islamic extremism also led to a crackdown of displays of Islamic practice in public. The term "Wahhabis" became the umbrella term to refer to all strains of "extremist" Islam; it did not necessarily refer to the Islamic sect that originated in Saudi Arabia.Bohr, p. 29. Ordinary practicing Muslims have been targeted and jailed without trial, and frequent use of torture and occasional "disappearances" have been reported. In 2005 Karimov banned the Adhan from being broadcast in the country; the ban was lifted in November 2017 by his successor, Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Following the election on 23 December 2007, 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 Organisation and the Commonwealth of Independent States gave the election a positive assessment. "Uzbek Incumbent Wins Presidential Poll Without 'Genuine Choice'" , Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 24 December 2007. However, observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe criticized the election as lacking a "genuine choice", while others deemed the election, a "political charade", given that all three of Karimov's rivals began their campaign speeches by singing Karimov's praises. Uzbek Leader's Re-Election Dismissed as Charade . Iwpr.net. Retrieved on 4 April 2012.
Karimov was reelected for a new term in the 2015 presidential election. He won 90.39% of votes from a voter turnout of 91.08%. This was his third term under Uzbekistan's current constitution. The election was criticized by the Western media and observers as being rigged, while the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation deemed the election open and democratic.
The United Nations found torture "institutionalized, systematic, and rampant" in Uzbekistan's judicial system. Civil and political rights, including the questions of torture and detention United Nations Economic and Social Council For several years, Parade magazine selected Karimov as one of the world's worst dictators, citing his tactics of torture, media censorship and Election. The World's Worst Dictators-2007 . Parade.com. Retrieved on 4 April 2012.
Karimov's Party apparatus gained effective control over the media during the immediate independence period. Because of a poor human rights and democratization record, the Karimov administration worked to improve its image by allowing broadcasts from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. A tarnished record had harmed the efforts to gain greater access to developmental aid and foreign investment.Bohr, p. 61.
According to the Uzbek Constitution freedom of expression in the media is nominally guaranteed; Article 67 explicitly states, "Censorship is not permitted." However, under the Karimov government, all media publications had to be "held accountable for the reliability" of the information released. This "accountability" actually introduces an opportunity for government censorship, as the definition of "accountability" was left to the Karimov and now is left to the successive Presidential administration's discretion. Article 29 states that all freedom of media expression is to be allowed with the exceptions of releasing state secrets and statements against the Constitution. The printed media of Uzbekistan has a high number of publications, but is dominated by three: Khalq Sozi, its Russian edition Narodnoye Slovo, and another Russian-language publication, Pravda Vostoka. The state owns almost all media, and the State Control Inspecorate, located in Tashkent, secures tight editorial control. Topics deemed "sensitive" are not considered for publishing. A ban is in place that prevents publications that give space to "unregistered opinions". Arrests of journalists have been documented in Tashkent and Samarkand.
As a propaganda tool, the state strictly controls the tone and subject material of all published works. State censors give preference to works that provide a positive, uplifting ideology to its readers. Criticism that passes the censors is limited to low and mid-level officers. Although the Karimov regime during the 1990s assumed a greater tolerance for foreign media, the state has heavily limited foreign publications during the past decade. There has been a considerable reduction of Russian-sponsored broadcasting, and Western media has diminished in publication as well.Human Rights Watch, Violations of Media Freedom: Journalism and Censorship in Uzbekistan (1 May 1996), D07.
Banned publications under the Karimov administration included Mustaqil Haftalik and Erk, the respective publications of the Birilik and Erk opposition parties. The Karimov government charged each publication on the grounds of being "disloyal to the current regime".Bohr, p. 15. In December 1995, Karimov was quoted in describing local journalists as "toothless". Karimov had essentially called for more criticism in printed material, but only "approved" criticism.Bohr, p. 16.
In May 2002, the Karimov administration lifted the pre-publication censorship, and fined the chief censor, Ervin Kamilov. The State Inspectorate for the Protection of State Secrets was disbanded. Two days later, the administration proceeded to reinstate further censorship measures. Among topics prohibited in Uzbekistan's publications are official corruption, opposition political parties and Islamic organizations. Radio Liberty lost its broadcast rights. Uzbekistan has one state-run internet server, UZPAK, that blocks prohibited websites.Bohr, pp. 75–76.
In November 2014, Uzbek students published a letter on the opposition party website, Dunyo Uzbeklari (World of Uzbeks) to protest the use of students as unpaid labour to pick the nation's cotton harvest every year.
In 2015, Karimov came under widespread criticism when he was elected to a fourth term in office from the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
According to Ikram Yakubov, a major in Uzbekistan's secret service who defected to Britain in 2007, the government had "propped up" the Islamism organization Akramia, which the Uzbek government blamed for fomenting the incident that led to the protests. He believes that the attacks were a pretext to repress dissenters. According to Yakubov, President Karimov personally ordered government troops to fire on the protestors. Former Uzbek Spy Accuses Government Of Massacres, Seeks Asylum . Rferl.org. Retrieved on 4 April 2012.
In response to the military sanctions imposed by the US and Europe, Karimov expelled US forces from the Karshi-Khanabad Military Base.
Karimov's wife, Tatyana Karimova, whom he married in 1967, is of Tatars origin. She is an economist. Karimov's wife, T.A. Karimova . Nndb.com. Retrieved on 4 April 2012. Biography Government of Uzbekistan They had two daughters and five grandchildren.
His elder daughter Gulnara Karimova is an Uzbekistani diplomat, professor and businessperson. She is the founder and chairperson of The Forum of Culture and Arts of Uzbekistan Foundations Board of Trustees and a number of NGOs focused on cultural and social aspects of life in Uzbekistan. However, his first daughter is seen as less than altruistic and allegations that her "organizations" are mere front organizations for her vast business holdings and image propping propaganda are well documented.
It has been reported that since February 2014, Gulnara has been under house arrest. She has been under investigation on charges of corruption, but has said that the "charges against her are politically motivated".
Karimov's second daughter, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva, is known in Uzbekistan for her role in promoting education and sports, as well as championing the rights of children. She is the founder of major charity organizations in Uzbekistan: "You are not alone", Republican Social Children's Fund for helping orphans, and Republican Center for Social Adaptation of Children, mainly focusing on disabled children and those from vulnerable groups. Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva: official web site. Retrieved on 10 April 2009.
Karimov and his second wife Tatyana Karimova share five grandchildren: (Islam Karimova Jr., Iman Karimova, Mariam Tillyaeva, Umar Tillyaev, Safiya Tillyaeva).
At approximately 9 a.m. on 27 August 2016, an unconscious Karimov was taken to the Central Clinical Hospital, according to the official medical report by the government of Uzbekistan. He underwent a CT scan that revealed he had suffered a "massive subarachnoid hemorrhage" (stroke). He went into cardiac arrest but cardiac activity was restored after 20 minutes of resuscitation attempts. He was in an "atonic coma with inhibition of the functions of the brain stem" and put on a ventilator. His daughter Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva reported that he was in stable condition at an intensive care ward.
According to the official medical report, numerous experts were consulted on Karimov's condition on 27 and 28 August, including Gilles Dreyfus, medical director of the Cardiothoracic Center of Monaco; Juha Hernesniemi, professor emeritus of neurosurgery at the University of Helsinki; Amir Samii, medical director of the International Neuroscience Institute in Hannover; Hugo Katus of University Hospital Heidelberg and Leo Bokeria, the head of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at Moscow State Medical University.
On 29 August 2016, there were unconfirmed reports from the Ferghana News Agency, which represents the opposition, that he had died that day at 15:30 UZT. On 31 August, Karimova-Tillyaeva cited possible "recovery", thus implying that her father was still alive. On 1 September, the 25th anniversary of Uzbekistan's independence, Karimov's speech was read on TV by a presenter. Karimova-Tillyaeva stated that public support was helping him recover and pleaded with the public not to speculate on his condition.
On the morning of 2 September, it was announced that Karimov was in a "critical condition" and his condition has deteriorated sharply. A few hours later Reuters reported the death of Karimov citing three diplomatic sources. Around 16:00 UZT the Prime Minister of Turkey Binali Yıldırım expressed his condolences for the death of Karimov in a televised meeting becoming the first official to confirm the death. According to the government report, Karimov was in stable neurological condition in a coma, but progressively began to experience multiple organ failure. He suffered another cardiac arrest at 20:15 UZT on 2 September and attempts to resuscitate him failed, and he was pronounced dead at 20:55 UZT (15:55 UTC).
On 3 September, thousands of people lined the streets of Tashkent for Karimov's funeral procession, throwing flowers at the cortege, as he was taken to the airport to be flown to his native Samarkand, where he was buried. His funeral service was held at Registan, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The ceremony was attended by delegations of 17 foreign countries, including Emomali Rahmon, president of Tajikistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, president of Turkmenistan and Ashraf Ghani, president of Afghanistan, as well as Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Kazakhstan Prime Minister Karim Massimov, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey Yıldırım Tuğrul Türkeş, and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, among other various level state representatives from the China, India, South Korea, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates. The State Council of Cuba declared 5 September as an official day of mourning due to the death of the President of Uzbekistan.
On 6 September, President Vladimir Putin arrived in Samarkand to pay tribute to Karimov. Kneeling in front of the grave of the first President of Uzbekistan, the Russian leader laid a bouquet of red roses. In addition, Putin met with the relatives of the deceased and expressed condolences to them. On 12 September, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev also visited Karimov's burial site. He laid a bouquet of red roses, prayed beside his grave, and met Karimov's wife. On 6 October, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko paid a working visit to Uzbekistan. He laid roses to Karimov's grave, met his wife, and held talks with Interim President Mirziyoyev.[24] Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu laid a wreath at Karimov's grave on 20 October.Çavuşoğlu, Semerkant'ta Eski Özbekistan Cumhurbaşkanı Kerimov'un Kabrini Ziyaret Etti Other high-ranking officials of Azerbaijan, India, the United Arab Emirates, as well as Under Secretary for Political Affairs of the United States Thomas Shannon also paid tribute to Karimov. On 1 November, a square in the Yakimanka district in the center of Moscow was named after Islam Karimov.Uzbekistan Daily : Square in center of Moscow named after Islam Karimov
01 November 2016 17:06 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi paid tribute to Karimov in Samarkand on 12 November.CCTV News Content - Samarkand, Uzbekistan - Nov 12, 2016
3. Wang paying tribute to late Uzbek President Islam Karimov President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the grave of Islam Karimov on 18 November, as a part of his official visit to Uzbekistan.Uzbekistan Daily: President of Turkey to pay official visit to Uzbekistan Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev paid tribute to Karimov on 24 December, during his working visit to Uzbekistan. On 7 March 2017, Presidents of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow opened the first monument of Islam Karimov in the Turkmen city of Türkmenabat. On 10 June, during his official visit to Uzbekistan, UN Secretary General António Guterres visited Karimov's grave.
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2005 Andijan unrest
According to detailed accounts, on 13 May 2005, some 400 of the 500 protesters staging an anti-government demonstration were killed after being driven deliberately into a trap – authorities had blocked all the exits from Bobur Square with armoured personnel carriers, preventing people from dispersing home. Instead, they drove the crowd into a closed street, Chulpon Avenue, where snipers and police shot to kill. These scenes of deliberate killings prompted eyewitnesses to allege that troops not only shot to disperse the demonstration, but to summarily execute anyone who took part in it. Later, some tortured detainees recounted that police said they had received orders supposedly emanating from the president himself to shoot to kill. Andijan Refugees' Report Yields New Findings on 2005 Massacre by Government Forces . EurasiaNet.org (13 November 2010). Retrieved on 2012-04-04.
Personal life
Karimov married his first wife, Natalya Petrovna Kuchmi, in 1964 and they had a son together, Petr, before divorcing.
Illness and death
Karimov's health problems were a public conversation, but until 2016, Karimov's health was never discussed by government officials and any information was closely guarded. There were rumors in March 2013 that he had suffered a heart attack, which were denied.
Funeral and tributes
After the death of Karimov, the prime minister, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, was appointed the head of the committee organizing the funeral of the president. A large number of world leaders, including the Presidents of the United States, China, Russia, and India immediately expressed their condolences. Uzbekistan declared three days of mourning and Uzbek embassies opened the book of condolences. Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis, Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited Uzbek embassies to sign the book.Xinhua:Chinese premier mourns passing of Uzbek president
Awards
USSR
Order of the Red Banner of Labour Order of Friendship of Peoples (29 January 1988)
Domestic
Hero of Uzbekistan Order of Independence Order of Amir Temur
Foreign
Order of the Balkan Mountains (Bulgaria) Order of the Golden Fleece (Georgia) Presidential Order of Excellence (Georgia, 2013) Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Italy, 1997) Order of the Golden Eagle (Kazakhstan) Golden Order in honor of the 1000th anniversary of Manas (Kyrgyzstan, 1995) Order of the Three Stars (Latvia, 2008) Cross of Recognition (Latvia) Grand Cross of the Order of Vytautas the Great, 1st class (Lithuania) Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (Poland) Order of the Republic of Serbia, 2nd class Order of the Golden Fleece (Spain) Sash of Collar of Order of Civil Merit (Spain) Grand Order of Mugunghwa (South Korea) Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 2nd degree (Ukraine) Order of Merit (Ukraine) Olympic Order (International Olympic Committee) Order of Merit (AIBA, 2016)
See also
Notes
Bibliography
External links
Categories: 1938 Births, 2016 Deaths, First Secretaries Of The Communist Party Of Uzbekistan, Corruption In Uzbekistan, Grand Cross Of The Order Of Civil Merit, Grand Crosses Of The Order Of Merit Of The Republic Of Poland, Grand Crosses Of The Order Of Vytautas The Great, Islam, Party Leaders Of The Soviet Union, People From Samarkand, Politicide Perpetrators, Presidents Of Uzbekistan, Recipients Of The Order Of Prince Yaroslav The Wise, 1st Class, Recipients Of The Order Of Friendship Of Peoples, Recipients Of The Olympic Order, Recipients Of The Order Of The Golden Fleece, Recipients Of The Presidential Order Of Excellence, Self-sacrifice National Democratic Party Politicians, Uzbekistan Liberal Democratic Party Politicians, Critics Of Islamism, Tashkent State Technical University Alumni, Recipients Of The Order Of The Red Banner Of Labour, Recipients Of Order Of Friendship Of Uzbekistan
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