After years of uncertainty, many Details to come about the fate of the once dazzling daughter of the former Uzbek dictator Islam Karimov to light. But there remain questions.
Gulnara Karimowa sitting for this week in an Uzbek prison camp. This message would almost go unnoticed; the press release of the Prosecutor’s office of Uzbekistan on the once-dazzling daughter of the former dictator, Islam Karimov, carried the stresses the unobtrusive Heading “information message”. In the process, Gulnara, was until 2014 the most famous face of a brutal political regime.
Fashion designer, singer and diplomat: wife Karimowa was for a long time as a possible successor to her father, who ruled first as a functionary of the Communist party, and later as President for 27 years continuously, the Central Asian Republic of Uzbekistan with an iron Hand.
A Star falls deep
However, the daughter also because of their dubious wealth. Since about 2012, it was determined in the West against them due to corruption. At the end of 2013 then Googoosha – her artistic Pseudonym was with her father in disgrace, became estranged, and in Public, with the mother and younger sister. Gulnara disappeared for years from the picture – probably in an unofficial house arrest.
Later it was learned from the Uzbek media, Gulnara 2015 had been convicted of tax evasion and extortion, to five years. Their Geneva lawyer, Gregoire Mangeat claimed that due process did not exist.
Islam Karimov: 27 years of rule with an iron Hand
2016 dictator Karimov died. Death no longer brought together the rulers family: Gulnara has not been seen at the funeral. Instead, they saw themselves under the new President, Relations faced Mirsijojew 2017 with further allegations. But where she was: in prison or under house arrest – and Was she even still alive? There were only rumors.
The daughter information
On 5. March posted Iman, the daughter of Gulnara Karimowa who is now in London, via Instagram, that, your mother-of-staff of the Uzbek Prosecutor’s office “forcibly removed from her apartment in Tashkent” taken away. The lawyer confirmed Mangeat.
Later, the Prosecutor General’s office of Uzbekistan made it clear: In December of 2017, Gulnara Karimowa had been sentenced to 10 years in prison, but was reduced to five years, “for humanitarian reasons”. Karimowa was allowed to serve this punishment since the summer of 2018 at the home of their daughter, Iman, however, under one condition: the daughter of The dictator, should actively help in the search of the property, which was apparently scattered in the whole world .
The Uzbek prosecutors now claim that Karimov’s daughter has not complied with its Commitments. You should leave the apartment on several occasions and, despite a ban on the Internet. But – much more important: it has managed not one Cent of your assets in Uzbekistan. Now you get the bill, the attorney General’s offices: The court in Tashkent sent to a penal colony.
Gulnara under pressure
What, exactly, but it may lead to the Uzbek “Princess”? Around 800 million Swiss francs lying on their Swiss accounts. However, this wealth is confiscated. The Swiss Prosecutor’s office has noted: The asset consists of bribes from the Western and Russian communication companies, paid for the right to be allowed in Uzbekistan to do business. Overall, it was determined in 19 countries, against them and their environment and in this context, assets in millions, guaranteed.
Before she fell into disgrace, was Gulnara Karimowa the most prominent face of Uzbekistan
Gregoire Mangeat, the Gulnaras interests in Switzerland, represents, claims to be in Tashkent you exercise psychological and physical pressure on his client, to persuade them to renounce their claims and rights. On the request of the DW, which Ansrüche and rights, it is, replied the lawyer, the aim of the Uzbek authorities to claim a share of the seized assets. Thus, the power tried to commander-in-chief in Uzbekistan, apparently, to accelerate the return of 800 million francs. “Switzerland has no interest in the illegally acquired assets on your financial to house place”, confirmed the Swiss authorities to the DW.
The judgment in the case of Karimowa is not in Switzerland nor in all instances legally, said a spokesman for the Swiss foreign Ministry. Gregoire Mangeat spoke of a “stalemate” that has dragged on for years and criticized the methods and the “complete arbitrariness” of the Uzbek power holders, the “elementary human rights” miss, would pay attention to.
The search for two billion dollars
Perhaps Gulnara had not in fact done anything to make it up to the authorities in Tashkent easier, and your get cash believes the Russian Central Asia expert Arkady Dubnow: “I think these expectations would explain why it was so liberal in the use of imprisonment.” In their current state Gulnara was hardly in the position to help the rulers in Uzbekistan, suspected Daniil Kislow, founder and chief-editor of news Agency “Ferghana”.
Overall, the Uzbek state is estimated to be of the legal profession and the harm that Gulnara now to replace, to almost two billion dollars. Alone in bribes to Mrs Karimowa have extorted over a billion dollars from telecommunications companies, claimed of the international search compound OCCRP.