Former Interior Minister of Uzbekistan tells about Andizhan massacre

AKIPRESS.COM - The advisor of Interior Minister in Uzbekistan, Colonel General Zakir Almatov condemned tortures, which Andizhan police department officers used against a local citizen, and called them betrayal of police interests. Almatov was the Minister of Internal Affairs in 1991-2005. He said in interview with Kun.uz that police officers need to pass regular psychological tests, as they work every day for low payment of $245-295. It was his second interview to media.
Kun.uz reports that interview with Almatov who was Minister for 15 years was made due to incident in Andizhan when the man died because of police officers' tortures.
It was reported that 32-year-old A. Abdukarimov died in Andizhan hospital on June 11. He was brought to hospital in coma and with traces of tortures from local police department on May 30.
Zakir Almatov noted that some Uzbek police officers can be harsh and think only about their ranks.
"I'm deeply sorry about that... That man became victim of police officers' actions. Those egoists ruined reputation of other fair officers who work day and night. They betrayed the police," Almatov said.
When he commented the events in Andizhan in 2005, he confessed that he was the head of local office and made decisions on his own.
"People often blame me for what happened in Andizhan. I was the head of the office during that time and I did make my own decisions, but who intruded in Andizhan with guns? Who crossed the border with weapons in hands? Who broke into Ministry's Police Patrol and Checkpoint Service and who attacked the military service and stole the weapons? Who attacked detention facilities and freed 500 criminals? Who took over administration building and set it on fire? Who took hundreds of law enforcers hostage and executed some of them? What was the government supposed to do, sit and watch what was going on?" said Zakir Almatov to Kun.uz, who is blamed for Andizhan massacre on May 12 in 2005 by international and local advocates.
Almatov also said that 187 people died during Andizhan events and this is the precise number.
According to official data, 187 people died during Andizhan events. According to eyewitness accounts, the number of murdered people in Andizhan on May 13 consists of more than thousand victims.
Several months after Andizhan events, Zakir Almatov was dismissed from the post of the Internal Minister in December 2005.
After those events, the EU blacklisted 12 high-ranking Uzbek government officials to enter their territories. Zakir Almatov was the first in the sanction list.
But at the end of 2005 Zakir Almatov was allowed to undergo surgery in Germany. Then international human rights organizations criticized decision of the German government.
According to some accounts, Zakir Almatov was under unofficial arrest at home in Tashkent after he had left the post. After the death of the first Uzbek president, Almatov appeared among officials close to incumbent President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
In 2018, Zakir Almatov returned to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. During conference on February 27 Minister Pulat Babadjanov announced that Almatov became the Minister's advisor. Zakir Almatov expressed his gratitude to President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.