On October 4, 2020, a joint special operation of the special services of Ukraine and the State Security Service of the Republic of Uzbekistan took place in the Ukranian city of Nikolaev, as the result of which Alisher Bakhtiarovich Khaidarov

was kidnapped and forcibly transported from the territory of Ukraine (via the Republic of Belarus) to Uzbekistan.

Earlier Alisher lived in Nurata district, Navoi region of Uzbekistan. In spring 2008, he was at home with a group of his friends (6-7 people), listening to the sermons of Tahir Yuldashev, the Leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. One of those present had presumably reported this gathering to the law enforcement agencies, as after some time everyone present that day was detained. Subsequently, some friends of Alisher were arrested, and some of the group, including him, were put under home arrest, their passports confiscated. When Alisher needed to go to a neighbouring district or region, he had to coordinate this action with an inspector from the district internal affairs department, asking them to give him permission to travel and have his passport returned to him, as he could not travel without any ID.

Tired of constant control and moral pressure from the law enforcement agencies, worn down by the constant fear of being arrested, Alisher left Uzbekistan in summer of 2009 and moved to Moscow. In January 2010, Alisher married Ms Nazokat Pulatova. Together they rented a flat in the Serpukhov district of Moscow region. Alisher and his friends had tried to exercise their right to access information, as a result of which a group of innocent people were charged and convicted under “serious” articles of the Criminal Code. Thus, back in Uzbekistan, one of the investigators was so incensed by Alisher’s actions, that he was charged with encroachment on the constitutional order of the Republic of Uzbekistan (Article159, Part 3, Paragraph B of the Criminal Code). On October 28, 2009,  Navoi Regional Criminal Court  put Alisher Khaidarov on the wanted list, announcing a preventive measure in the form of detention. 

Escape from the pursuers living in the unknown

Alisher Khaidarov was put on the interstate wanted list by the Uzbek authorities. Alisher’s flat was broken into by the Moscow police, after which he turned for help to Russian human rights activist Elena Ryabinina, who ran the programmes “Assistance to Political Refugees from Central Asia” and “The Right to Asylum”. After many hours of consultations, Ryabinina recommended Alisher to move to Ukraine with his family and to apply to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) from there. Following the recommendations of the Russian human rights activist, Alisher moved to Ukraine in May 2010. Together with his wife Nazokat he submitted an application for international protection to the Kiev office of the UNHCR.

The stressful situation and lack of the necessary legal support while applying to the refugee status, were probably the reasons for Alisher’s application to be turned down. Alisher needed to support his family, and in September 2012 he took up a job at a slaughterhouse belonging to “Side – Product” catering company.

In June 2014, due to the hard work, Alisher developed severe back pains. An MRI scan showed he had three herniated discs. In summer 2015, Alisher once again tried to apply for refugee status, at the UNHCR Kiev office.

This time too, the application received a negative answer, even though the evidence materials were presented in full. There is no guarantee that even a very well-funded case would be positively solved, unless the asylum seekers are accompanied by specialised and qualified lawyers.

A member of the Security Service of Ukraine extended a “helping hand” to Alisher

In mid-2017, Alisher met Oleksandr Valentinovich Bezushko,

who introduced himself as a member of the Security Service of Ukraine. It is difficult for us to determine what kind of relationship they had, but by the end of October 2017 Alisher had already received Ukrainian citizenship, along with a number of supporting documents (an ID card, a Biometric passport, an Extract from the Unified State Demographic Register

Identification number ß) .

The documents were issued by the Podol District Department of the Main Department of the State Migration Service of Ukraine in Kiev (O.D. Luzik, A.Palashenko, O.G. Pelipenko) and the State Tax Inspectorate of the Podol District of Kiev (Larisa Volodymyrovna Nizenko).1. Extract number (Номер Витягу): 8031 – 931251-20172. 2. Unique record number in the Register (Унікальний номер запису в Реєстрі):1970121202472 3. Registration number of the tax payer’s account card (Реєстраційнийномер облікової картки платникаподатків): 2591321318 However, there are two very important circumstances that need to be taken into account in this case.

Firstly, when Alisher obtained Ukrainian citizenship, he received a new name and date of birth: АЛI БАХТIЄРОВИЧ ХАЙДАРОВ12.12.1970 (Ali Bakhtierovich Khaidarov), born in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Secondly, in April 2018, Oleksandr Bezushko started calling Alisher and demanding a sum of 25,000 USD from him, threatening to sell him to the Uzbek special services. From Bezushko’s side, this was clearly an extortion attempt. Alisher’s family did not have that kind of money, they lived in a rented flat and they just couldn’t physically pay $25,000.

The final development

In the first days of October 2020, Oleksandr Bezushkov once again called Alisher and suggested a meeting on the 3rd October, in the city of Nikolaev, where he planned to discuss the situation once again. After the meeting with Oleksandr was over, Alisher was planning to travel back to Kiev, using “BlaBlaCar”, a ride-sharing service. On October 4, 09:49 a.m., Alisher sent a voice message to his wife via WhatsApp. He informed her that he was planning to board a car at around 11:00 a.m. and should reach home by 4:00 p.m. He was seen on WhatsApp for the last time  at 10:46 a.m.Since there was no further communication from Alisher’s side, his wife started calling the “BlaBlaCar” representatives. She was told that, according to their information, the client (Alisher) got into the car, but it was soon stopped by a minibus with tinted windows. Several people in civilian clothes came out, grabbed Alisher, forced him into their minibus and disappeared in an unknown direction. The “BlaBlaCar” trip remained unpaid. On the same day, a statement was addressed to the Central Police Department of Nikolaev, reporting kidnapping. The police officers could locate the car driver and interrogate him. The driver could confirm the earlier events. October 5, at 3 p.m. Kiev time, Nazokat received a phone call from Alisher’s mother, who lives in Nurata district, who reported that someone had called her in the  morning  from the number +998 91 1634383 and informed that her son had been taken to Tashkent and he would still be under investigation by the State Security Service, as some investigative measures were needed. Two hours later, Alisher himself gave his mother a call from the following number: +998 93 6603000 and told her that he had been brought to Tashkent. He conveyed a message to his wife to   take care of herself and their four children.

Alisher’s wife called the investigator’s number  + 998 91 1634383 the next day, to find out that her husband had been brought to Uzbekistan by law enforcement agencies, via the Republic of Belarus. The investigator of the Central Police Department of the city of Nikolaev informed Alisher’s wife that, according to the official information, Alisher had crossed the Ukrainian-Belarusian border on the basis of the Certificate (Certificate) to return to the Republic of Uzbekistan. Noteworthy, Alisher himself had never applied to the Uzbek consulate for the Certificate. In the first days of the investigation, the police investigators from Nikolaev confirmed that there was no one under the name of Ali Bakhtierovich Khaidarov to leave Ukraine on that day, according to the records in their information systems; however, the name of this citizen was present.

Later on, on October 21, while communicating with Alisher’s wife, the investigators informed her that there are no records of a person called Ali Bakhtierovich Khaidarov, born 12.12.1970, exist. When Alisher travelled from Kiev to Nikolaev, his ID card and Biometric foreign passport were with him. October 4, when Alisher was kidnapped and forcibly taken from Ukraine to Belarus accompanied by special services officers, these documents were confiscated from him, in order not to discredit Oleksandr Valentinovich Bezushko and his colleagues.

Instead of an epilogue – questions

1.On what basis and how did Oleksandr Valentinovich Bezushko and his colleagues facilitated the Ukrainian citizenship for Ali Bakhtierovich Khaidarov  (aka Alisher Bakhtiyarovich Khaidarov)? Why did Oleksandr Bezushko demand $25,000 from Khaidarov?

2.According to the Statement number and Unique record number in the Register, Ali Bakhtierovich Khaidarov  (aka Alisher Bakhtiyarovich Haidarov) is a citizen of Ukraine. On the basis of what documents was the citizen of Ukraine transferred to the special services of another state, i.e. Uzbekistan?

3. Alisher Bakhtiyarovich Khaidarov officially crossed the Ukrainian-Belarusian border on the basis of a Certificate  for return to the Republic of Uzbekistan. A. Khaidarov himself did not apply to the Uzbek consulate in Kiev for this Certificate, did not go to the Consulate, did not communicate with the Consular officer and did not pay the consular fee of 55 USD. How did the Ukrainian security services receive this Certificate, which is given to its owner only in person? Moreover, a personal interview is needed, and the Certificate is only issued after a fee of 55 USD is paid.

4. On what grounds did investigators from the Central Police Department of Nikolaev closed the case of abduction of Ali Bakhtierovich Khaidarov, a Ukrainian citizen?

5.On what grounds and which law enforcement agencies of Ukraine participated in the abduction and forcible expulsion of A.Khaidarov from the territory of Ukraine (via the Republic of Belarus) to Uzbekistan?

6. Are there formal agreements between Ukraine and Uzbekistan on the extradition of a person who committed a crime, for prosecution or the execution of a sentence?