Helping Human Rights Defenders Advocate for Justice in Uzbekistan

Human rights defenders in Uzbekistan often encounter obstacles in their ability to represent citizens in court, limiting their capacity to protect the rights of marginalized people, particularly in criminal cases. With support from the Social Innovation in Central Asia (SICA) program, funded by USAID and implemented by Eurasia Foundation, human rights activist Mirzo Subkhanov launched a project to increase the participation of public organizations and activists in judicial proceedings.

As part of this project, Mirzo volunteered as a public defender in 16 court cases under the framework of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Public Control. This law allows public organizations and independent activists like Mirzo to participate in legal proceedings as advocates for citizens’ rights, ensuring that the courts operate fairly and transparently. By exercising his rights under this law, Mirzo championed citizens whose rights were in question without the need for them to hire private legal representation.

Mirzo’s free legal representation has yielded favorable outcomes for his pro bono clients in cases ranging from defamation and fraud to smuggling and abuse of office. These successes demonstrate the power of independent public defenders in the legal system. “A major reason for human rights violations is the lack of awareness about rights and where to seek help,” Mirzo explains. “Many people believe that only those with power or connections can demand their rights and seek justice. We have proven time and again that this is not the case.”

One of Mirzo’s most notable successes involved the case of Shokhrukh Rofiyev, a student expelled from Samarkand State University under the false pretense of organizing public unrest in Tashkent. Mirzo and his colleagues at Ezgulik, the human rights CSO he leads, successfully petitioned the appellate court. The court reinstated Shokhrukh and, in the process, exposed the expulsion as an act of personal hostility from university leadership.

Another notable case involved two tourists whose gold jewelry worth over 140 million UZS (approximately 12,000 USD) was confiscated by Uzbekistan’s immigration services, allegedly for exceeding the permitted limit. The tourists contacted Ezgulik for help recovering the jewelry. Mirzo and his team brought the matter to the Samarkand Regional Court, which declared the decision to confiscate the jewelry illegal.

“Around the world, citizens’ rights are violated for many reasons—whether due to bureaucratic errors, abuse of power by authorities, or incompetence. Demanding your rights and the involvement of independent human rights defenders are crucial for building a just society,” says Mirzo.

Ezgulik has also been active in training other public organizations to defend people’s rights. Recently, representatives from the regions of Andijan, Navoi, Jizzakh, Kashkadarya, and Tashkent attended Ezgulik workshops on international human rights standards and mechanisms of laws of Uzbekistan. These sessions, led by international experts, resulted in the creation of two comprehensive manuals on the protection of human rights based on the UN system and Uzbekistan’s laws.

In addition to these efforts, Ezgulik launched an advocacy campaign in collaboration with partner media outlets, generating over 1 million views on YouTube alone. The campaign shared ongoing cases and raised awareness about citizens’ right to freedom of association.

One of the campaign’s most high-profile moments was its coverage of a lawsuit challenging the legality of a resolution from the Cabinet of Ministers. The law introduced a controversial electricity consumption standard of 200 kWh per month per family. Ezgulik argued that this standard violated the rights of some consumer groups, including their right to health and basic social security. “Citizens have the right to demand transparency and accountability from government agencies, and that was made clear through the widespread media attention this case received,” says Mirzo. “Although the court ruled in favor of the government, we believe that our advocacy campaign achieved part of its goal by demonstrating the power of citizen participation.”

Despite this ruling, Mirzo and his team remain committed to challenging the resolution and continuing to advocate for the rights of Uzbekistan’s citizens, energized by the support of Eurasia Foundation and the community’s growing awareness of their rights.