The war against non-state terror

A few days after 9/11, 2001, Gerhard Schröder declared his „unlimited solidarity with the USA”. And in November 2001 Germany sent the first troops to Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, the majority of them under the ISAF-mandate of NATO. But there are other German troops in Afghanistan as well: KSK-forces. These forces US-American forces fight along with US-troups the Taliban. The goals of these KSK-forces are so secret that even members of the German parliament are not informed about their activities. Therefore, it can be safely assumed that it is hardly a humanitarian mission, which they are carrying out.

Due to its high degree of secrecy the presence of KSK-troops in Uzbekistan wasn´t even remotely discussed in German society.

German cooperation with Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan and German-Uzbek cooperation is especially important for the German troops in Afghanistan. German ISAF-troops are flying into Afghanistan from the German air-base of Termez (Uzbekistan). The air base of Termez is of high importance for the German troops. In its war against non-state terror, German authorities do not seem to have problems with state terrorism of the Uzbek regime. On May 13th, 2005, Uzbek forces killed 500 demonstrators in the city of Andishan. Torture is commonplace in Uzbek prisons. On December 9th and 10th , 2005, oour Undersecretary of Defense Friedbert Pflüger struck a deal with the Uzbek authorities: in neglect of EU sanctions the German army can use the Termez airbase.

Shortly thereafter, the Uzbek interior minister Sakri Almatow, one of those responsible for the Andishan massacre, received medical treatment in a Hannover hospital (home town of undersecretary Friedbert Pflüger), also in neglect of EU sanctions, which prohibit to issue a visa to representatives of the Uzbek regime.

Germany is provideing military aid for Uzbekistan. Only recently Germany gave Uzbekistan medical goods whose value amounts to about 280,000 Euro. This donation shows the “good cooperation between Germany and Uzbekistan in the field of military cooperation” as the German ambassador Joachim Kinderlen pronounced.

Source: Tobias Pflueger: was macht die Bundeswehr in Usbekistan, November 2006,
http://www.tobias-pflueger.de/material/TP-Materialien-2-Usbekistan.pdf, Seite 32.

Tamara Chikunova

I cooperate with the Uzbek human rights activist Tamara Chikunova. Tamara Chikunova lost her son. He was executed in one of Uzbekistan´s prisons. Ever since, Tamara Chikunova has been fighting against the death penalty – in Uzbekistan and all over the world.

In September 2005 I had an interview with Tamara Chikunova for the „Peace Forum“ (Bonn). Here my article:

Mrs Chikunova, in 2005 you received the human rights award of the city of Nürnberg. What does this award mean to you?

The award of the city orf Nürnberg is a big honor for me. And it shows that my fight against torture and the death penalty is important not only for Uzbekistan, it is important for the European community. The award shows that Germany is not indifferent to problems of other countries, especially of Uzbekistan. The award is not only a big honor for me, it is a big obligation as well.

Do you see state terror and non-state terror in Uzbekistan?

Given the governmental terror against all those, whose views differ from the official views, there cannot be any talk about human rights in Uzbekistan. Non-state terror does never have the magnitude the governing elites want to make us believe. In Uzbekistan, people who are suspected to belong to the opposition, i.e. human rights activists and religious moslems, are persecuted. There is some progress regarding the right to live. However, these progressive steps will take effect only on January 1st, 2008. The death penalty is nothing but violence administered by the state, a type of violence that cannot be undone. And to a certain degree people who are innocent can also become victims. As judicial errors can never be excluded, there is always the risk of punishing innocents. The death penalty is to be abolished in Uzbekistan by January 1st, 2008. But what is to happen before this date? At least, there should be a moratorium until then. Only a moratorium allows to file objections against court decisions and to save the lives of young people, who were sentenced or still could be sentenced to death.

What about the human rights situation in Uzbekistan?`

Human rights in Uzbekistan are part of the constitution and the criminal code. Uzbekistan did sign and ratify the first protocol of the International Pact for Civic and Political Rights. But in practice these laws are not implemented - human rights, like freedom of the press, freedom of religion, the presumed innocence of a person until proven guilty, free and independent courts, the right to life, the right to a human treatment of prisoners etc. are permanently and massively violated.

What kind of support do you expect as human rights activist from the German society, from German politicians?

I wish that German politicians and the German society candidly articulate what they expect from Uzbekistan: the implementation of human rights and the introduction of an immediate death penalty moratorium.

Do you think the existence of German troops in Uzbekistan is necessary?

I could not say that the German troops in Uzbekistan are necessary. For me it is strange that Uzbekistan gave the US-military only 180 days to leave, but keeps silent about German troops. Why? It seems that the presence of German troops in Uzbekistan is simple a formal thing. I think that if these troops were in Germany, they might be more useful.



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