Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urgently called for the release of Valijon Kalonov, a Uyghur activist detained in a psychiatric hospital in Uzbekistan since 2021. Initially arrested for allegedly threatening public safety via social media and insulting the President, his forced detention was justified by claims of a chronic mental illness diagnosed by state-appointed psychiatrists, leading to his placement at the Djizak Regional Psychoneurological Dispensary.
In February, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) determined that Kalonov was arbitrarily detained for his government critiques, a stance that contradicts Uzbekistan’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The WGAD found his detention constituted a violation of his free speech rights, highlighting that punishment for legitimate expression of these rights is deemed arbitrary.
The lack of adequate legal representation during his trial further compounded the injustices faced by Kalonov. His lawyer failed to appeal his forced psychiatric treatment, despite acknowledging that Kalonov does not suffer from any mental illness. HRW indicates that such forced psychiatric detentions by Uzbekistan’s government are common, employed to silence dissenters through the guise of treatment.
Kalonov, previously a blogger, had focused on China’s mass imprisonment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang and criticized Uzbekistan’s ties with China, raising alarms about human rights violations. Some countries even classify these actions as genocide, highlighting the urgency and severity of the situation.
Human Rights Watch has called for the release of Valijon Kalonov, a Uyghur activist, forcibly detained in a psychiatric hospital since 2021. The UN WGAD determined his detention is arbitrary and violates international human rights obligations. Kalonov’s case reflects a pattern of the Uzbek government using psychiatric detention to silence critics, and he advocates for Uyghur rights amidst accusations of genocide against China.
The case of Valijon Kalonov exemplifies the troubling practice of using forced psychiatric detention to stifle dissent in Uzbekistan. With substantial evidence from both Human Rights Watch and the UN, it is clear that Kalonov’s rights have been severely infringed upon due to his activism. This situation calls for immediate international attention and action to uphold human rights and ensure the freedom of expression is protected globally.
Original Source: www.jurist.org
