The People’s Democratic Movement Birdamlik are intending to be reorganised to a political party and do it at their November Congress in Uzbekistan, its leader Bokhodir Choriyev told C-1.
Founder and leader of the People’s Democratic Movement Bokhodir Choriyev thinks that the era of his organisation in exile is coming to an end and being reorganised to a party they are to continue their work in their motherland.
According to Choriyev, last week, on the 11 of September, he submitted to the Uzbek embassy in Washington (USA) all documentation necessary for issuing an entry visa to Uzbekistan.
At a decision of the First President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov in 2014 Choriyev was deprived of his citizenship status in Uzbekistan and in 2018 became a citizen of the USA> he says that according to the regulation, established at the embassy of Uzbekistan, he should obtain a response on his visa this week – witin the next two days to be more exact.
Birdamlik Party?
After obtaining an Uzbek visa, Birdamlik’s leader is going to come to the country in early November for holding a congress of the Movement, where the movement would be reorganised to a party. Then the new party would apply to the Ministry of Justice of the RUzb for official registration.
In the interview to C-1 Bokhodir Choriyev, who is also known with his new name Bakhodir Khan Turkiston, said that he wants to urge the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and his government to an action, which is painful but necessary for all citizens of Uzbekistan: allow political opposition to return home.
“President Mirziyoyev cannot resolve all the problems of the country without freedom of speech and opposition, – says Choriyev. – He is losing time every day, and this is threatening the country return of Karimov’s era.”
But Choriyev himself thinks that the chances of meeting of the members of Bridamlik headed by its leader in Uzbekistan are minimal..
Detaining and sanitary-cleaning day
Last Saturday, 15 of September, a small group of the members of Birdamlik tried to gather up in Chashmai Nur café in Tashkent for discussing the state of affairs and preparation for the Congress, but their meeting was disrupted.
Early in the morning, at 07:45, the area police officer took a representative of the Movement in Uzbekistan – 38 year old Qakhramon Makhmedov to the department of internal affairs of Almazar district of Tashkent, where he was kept until 17:00 hours by useless interrogations. During this time, the members of the Movement, who had come to the café found out that the electricity supply of the café had been cut off (allegedly for failure to pay for it), also the café were having a clean-up day. Having said that, Birdamlik had already booked tables for holding their meeting and paid for the rent.
In September we are planning to have a new meeting in Tashkent, – says the leader of the Movement Bokhodir Choriyev about their plans. – And regardless of anything, we will be making arrangements for holding the Congress in Uzbekistan.”
The way from entrepreneurship to politics
Bokhodir Choriyev founded the Birdamlik Movement was founded in 2004. Formerly the manager of large family agricultural company “Kesh” in Qashqadarya region of Uzbekistan, Choriyev lost his company, when local authorities and law enforcement agencies cast an eye on it. For several years Bakhodir fought for returning his family business for which he had to be hidden in a jail under framed up false accusations.
After serving the term, Choriyev did not stop his fight. He kept filing claims to courts, and finally the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan issued a resolution in his favour, but when those who had occupied the agricultural company saw the resolution, only laughed at him.
Then Choriyev and family started arranging uncountable political protests in Tashkent, declared hunger, but nothing could make his opponents adhere the court ruling. During this time Bakhodir was subjected to severe physical attack, his car was set to fire in his eyes and he was beaten senseless.
In ear of his and family’s life, in 2014 Bokhodir Choriyev had to leave for the USA. In this new country, working as a semi truck driver, Choriyev did not stop thinking about Uzbekistan and never stopped his political activities.
“It is not our rule to give up,” – he says, in his preparations to return to his motherland.