Russia: Refugee must not be forcibly returned to Uzbekistan

[Tilly lavenas]

Dear Friends
Please send this letter or in your own words as quickly as possible about Valentina Chupik. She is being held at a Moscow airport and is faced with very imminent deportation to Uzbekistan. She fled Uzbekistan in 2006 after the Andizhan protests when hundreds of demonstrators were killed. She was tortured in connection with these events. She was granted refugee status in Russia but has now been stripped of her status.

Tatyana Moskalkova
High Commissioner for Human Rights in Russia
Smolensky Boulevard 19с2
119121 Moscow
Russian Federation
Email: a.zlo...@rightsrf.ru, pr...@ombudsmanrf.ru

Dear Tatyana Moskalkova,

I am deeply concerned about Valentina Chupik, a refugee and human rights defender who is being detained at Sheremetevo airport. She is threatened with imminent forcible return to Uzbekistan, a country that she fled 15 years ago due to her human rights work. If deported she would be at risk of arbitrary arrest, unfair trial and torture.

I ask you to use your powers as High Commissioner for Human Rights to seek Valentina’s immediate and unconditional release. I also urge you to ensure that Russia upholds its obligations under the international human rights law, and does not forcibly return her to a country where she would be at risk of human rights violations.

Best wishes

Please send a copy to the ambassador in your country:
HE Mr. Anatoly I. Antonov
2650 Wisconsin Ave NW
Washington, DC 20007
ruse...@mid.ru

HE Mr Andrei Kelin
13 Kensington Palace Gardens
London, W8 4QX
www.rusemb.org.uk


For more information on Amnesty International’s Urgent Action 102/21, 30 September:  https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/eur46/4813/2021/en/