Furkat Kasimovich Yusupov (born 1980) is a citizen of Uzbekistan who was arrested for, charged with, and tried for terrorism offenses in 2004.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] Yusupov was described as being the leader of a group that executed a series of terrorist bombings on March 28, 2004. Authorities claimed Yusupov was captured with ten homemade bombs. Uzbekistan officials said that Yusupov was a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir. Yusupov was from Toitep a community 40 kilometers from Tashkent.
Accorind to United Press International the series of attacks Yusupov was convicted of playing a role in represented the first use of suicide bombers in Central Asia.[3] They reported Yusupov himself was wearing a suicide belt when he was captured. Kamola, Yusupov's wife, also stood trial, and received a sentence of ten years of hard labor, for sewing 60 suicide belts.
Two of Yusupov's brothers died during the security officials attempts to apprehend the group.[9] Another of his brothers was apprehended and stood trial with him. The Agonist reported that Yusupov stood trial with 14 other individuals on July 26, 2004.[5] Yusupov pleaded guilty. According to The Agonist his confession included:
- "I have helped to send 14 people to be trained in Pakistan and Kazakhstan."
- "We have been trained (on) how to disguise ourselves in big cities, carry out close and distance fighting with police, carry out suicide bombings and prepare explosives."
- "I regret that I have done so much trouble for my family and my country. I am ready to face even the death penalty but I ask you to pardon me."
Yusupov's trial was disrupted by an additional suicide bombing on July 30, 2004.[6] A citizen of Kazakhstan named Avaz Shoyusupov blew himself up in the Prosecutor's office, killing five other individuals, and disrupting the trial. Yusupov identified Shoyusupov as a member of his cell.
Guantanamo connection
editThe Summary of Evidence memo prepared for Yakub Abahanov's Administrative Review Board justified his continued detention on an allegation that he had a tie to Yusupov.:[10]
"On 24 August 2004, the Uzbek Supreme Court convicted and sentenced Furkat Kasimovich Yusupov to 18 years deprivation of freedom for his involvement in terrorist attacks in Tashkent and Bukhara Provinces, Uzbekistan, during March and April 2004."
Yakub Abahanov's Summary of Evidence also justified his continued detention due to alleged ties to an individuals identified as "Yusupov Parkhat" and "Farhat Yusupov".
On August 7, 2002 Alisher Muradov and Farkhat Yusupov co-wrote an article entitled: "The borders of problems and worries" published in the Kyrgyzstan edition of Russian newspaper Moskovskij Komsomolets.[11]
References
edit- ^
Dmitry Glumskov, Mikhail Zygar (2004-07-28). "Defendants' unexpected testimony sparks an international scandal". Ferghana. Archived from the original on 2010-01-21.
The trial began with an international scandal. Reading aloud the bill of indictment, Prosecutor Murad Khalikov said that the terrorists had been trained on the territory of Kazakhstan. Defendant Furkat Yusupov, 24, who called himself assistant to Zhamoat leader Akhmad Bekmirzayev killed in a skirmish with the police, confessed that he himself had been trained in Vasiristan (Pakistan) and later established a similar training camp in Kazakhstan.
- ^ Bruce Pannier (2004-07-27). "Uzbekistan: 'Terror' Trial Likely To Hold Few Surprises". Radio Free Europe. Archived from the original on 2009-08-10.
- ^ a b
John C.K. Daly (2005-05-13). "UPI Intelligence Watch". United Press International. Archived from the original on 2011-06-05.
From March 29-April 1, 2004, a series of attacks in Tashkent and Bukhara killed 47 people, among them 33 suspected terrorists. The attacks marked the first appearance of suicide bombers in Central Asia. In August 2004 Uzbekistan's supreme court sentenced 15 people to as long as 18 years in prison for the bombings. One defendant, Furkat Yusupov, was arrested wearing a suicide belt; the car that he was traveling in contained 10 more. His wife Kamola received a sentence of 10 years at hard labor, as she had sewn 60 additional suicide belts.
- ^
Islam Karimov (2008). "STATE AND SOCIETY". Press Service of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Archived from the original on 2009-12-15.
Toitepa resident Furkat Yusupov, who was found with a bag containing 10 homemade bombs, was arrested in Tashkent.
- ^ a b
"Fifteen plead guilty to terror attacks in Uzbekistan". The Agonist. 2004-07-26. Archived from the original on 2009-09-07.
The first defendant to testify Monday -- Furkat Yusupov, 24, arrested on 28 March with 10 suicide bomb belts -- acknowledged that he had acted as an aide to Ahmad Bekmirzaev, leader of the so-called "Jamoa" group who was killed during a shootout with the police.
- ^ a b "Kazakh man named in Uzbek embassy bombing case". The Agonist. 2004-07-30. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23.
- ^ "Information on commencement of legal proceedings against organisers and participants of terrorist acts that took place in March-April 2004 in Uzbekistan". Uzbekistan Embassy, Berlin. Archived from the original on October 4, 2006. Retrieved 2007-11-03.
Yusupov Furkat Kasimovich is charged with committing crimes stipulated in articles 97, 155, 156, 159 and other articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan. It was proved by the investigation, that F.Yusupov rented apartments in Tashkent for secret residing of the members of the criminal network, arranged delivery of self-made explosives. It was also proved, that within the group belonging to the criminal network he tested the self-made explosive devices on 7 and 12 March 2004 in a deserted land of the "Varakhsha" farm, which is situated in Jondor district of Bukhara region.
- ^
"9 Terrorists Killed, 4 Seized While Planting Bomb in Uzbekistan". Tass. 2004-03-29. Archived from the original on 2008-10-07.
The Uzbek Interior Ministry detained 11 people on suspicions of preparing the terrorist acts on Monday. In particular, resident of the town Toitep, 40 kilometres off Tashkent Furkat Yusupov was arrested Monday while trying to bring ten self-made explosive devices in the Uzbek capital, Uzbek Prosecutor General Rashid Kadyrov said on Monday.
- ^ a b
Burt Herman (2004-08-03). "Father of four alleged Uzbek terrorists worries about their fate; trial postponed after suicide attacks on U.S., Israeli embassies". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2012-11-02. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
Yangi Tolqin Kolkhoz, Uzbekistan - Two of Qasym Yusupov's sons are dead and two are on trial, jailed after a wave of violence earlier this year allegedly carried out by the same group behind last week's suicide bombings targeting the U.S. and Israeli embassies.
- ^ a b
OARDEC. "Unclassified Summary of Evidence for Administrative Review Board in the case of Abahanov, Yakub" (PDF). United States Department of Defense. pp. pages 85–86. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 December 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-03.
On 24 August 2004, the Uzbek Supreme Court convicted and sentenced Furkat Kasimovich Yusupov to 18 years deprivation of freedom for his involvement in terrorist attacks in Tashkent and Bukhara Provinces, Uzbekistan, during March and April 2004.
- ^ "Kyrgyz paper slams Uzbekistan's "muscle-flexing" over border delimitation". Asia Africa Intelligence Wire. August 13, 2002. Archived from the original on 2008-06-19. Retrieved 2007-11-03.