Islam Karimov
Islom Abduganiyevich Karimov (Russian Ислам Абдуганиевич Каримов / Islam Karimov Abduganijewitsch; born January 30, 1938 in Samarkand ) is since 1991 President of Uzbekistan and chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan - the dominant party in the country.
Life
Education and political career
Karimov grew up in a Soviet state orphanage. He studied engineering and economics at the Polytechnic Institute Tashkent. In 1964 he joined the Communist Party and worked as a development engineer in the Uzbek aircraft before he moved to the state administration. From 1983 to 1986 he was Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister. Because of taking kickbacks Karimov was arrested in the city of Karshi on August 11, 1984, was due to corruption in the KGB remand until May, 1987, to the Supreme Court of the USSR pronounced the verdict.
He became the first Party Secretary in Uzbekistan in 1989 and took over the position of Rafik Nischanow. In 1990, he ascended to the highest political body of the USSR, he became a full member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union ( CPSU ) and that in the period from 14 July 1990 to 24 August 1991. Starting March 24, 1990, he was President of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Uzbekistan. During this time he was an active supporter of the independence of all Union republics and he declared after the failed August coup against Mikhail Gorbachev on 31 August 1991, the independence of Uzbekistan.
President of Uzbekistan
From the first direct presidential election on December 29, 1991, he went with 86 percent of the vote as the winner and was the first president of the independent Republic of Uzbekistan. Scores of opposition afterwards went into exile, many had for several years in jail and several have disappeared.
1995, it can Karimov extended his term in office in a referendum. On 9 January 2000, he could be confirmed with 91.9 per cent for a further term. The vote was designated by the U.S. as " neither free nor fair "; the only opposition candidate said he had even voted for the president. In a referendum on 27 January 2002, he settled again extend his term (until December 2007).
On 13 May 2005, there were in the city of Andijan demonstrations against the regime. The military fired on the insurgents and attacks on innocent citizens; be up to 500 people were killed and about 2,000 were injured. Karimov denies having given the order to fire. The bodies were taken away. It is still unknown what happened to the remains of those killed.
Although Article 90 of the Uzbek Constitution provides that the five -year term of the President can only be extended once for reelection Karimov was announced at the announcement for the December 23, 2007 presidential elections. This election won Karimov after notification of the Election Commission with 88.1 percent of the vote. Three other candidates were on each about three percent. But they had made no election and partly even more pronounced for the incumbent. By choosing Karimov was elected for another five years as president. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE ) declared that the election had failed to meet a number of criteria for democratic elections.
Karimov is the author of several books. His latest book is entitled Uzbekistan on the Threshold of the 21st century: risk to the safety, conditions of stability and guarantees for progress. At the state universities, the treatment of this book is mandatory.
Family
Karimov is married to the economist Tatyana Karimova Akbarovna. The couple has two daughters and three grandchildren. The older daughter, Gulnora Karimova, worked as a consultant of the Uzbek ambassador to Russia. You should have built a business empire branched, which includes the largest mobile phone companies of Uzbekistan, night clubs and a large cement factory and Coca -Cola UZB belong. Currently she is the ambassador to the UN in Geneva. The older daughter is said to be prepared for a future takeover.
Reactions abroad
Karimov's policy is criticized internationally violently with regard to human rights and press freedom. In particular, the former British ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray, has brought reports of killings of opponents of the regime to the public. The United Nations estimated the torture in Uzbekistan " institutionalized, systematic and widespread " as a. 2004 were about 7000 politically and religiously persecuted people in custody.
Karimov received support from both the U.S. government, which paid in 2002 for the Uzbek army and security units 202 million euros, as well as from the former German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, who repeatedly very favorably commented on the regime.