The Final Statement
‘Pushkin has these lines: “I sit behind bars in a dank dungeon, a young eagle raised in captivity.”’
I watched the first trial. The judge asks a lot of questions, but no one thinks about how important they are.
What I want to say is this: we can abide by the verdict and the punishment imposed. But if I speak for myself, I have my people standing behind me, in addition to my family. For ten years, I have been solving problems that made their lives difficult. They turned to all sorts of authorities, even the president, and I resolved every one of those problems. Judges who have never faced the hardships of everyday life will not understand this. That is why I ask you to take this into account as well when passing sentence.
No matter how solid the ice may be, it melts in the sun.
A cowardly person is close to betrayal–many of our boys [after the rallies] failed to stand firm. There is no point in naming them.
They say everything is fine in prison, that they are fed five times a day and that our clothes are washed for us… Throughout history, no one has ever praised prison. That is because prison is not a place anyone could be content with.
Here is what amazes me. [One of the defendants] says he ended up in prison because of Tazhimuratov’s sister [because he listened to her]. But before that, he was a member of the ‘Alga, Karakalpakstan’ movement [‘Forward, Karakalpakstan’–an organisation advocating Karakalpakstan’s independence whose activities were declared illegal]. I say this: if you have an egg yolk instead of a brain, why would you follow me a second time?
You can see how people have turned against one another. In the past, some people refused to perform the janazah [funeral rites and prayer] for their own fathers just to obtain a rank. Such people still exist today, and it is deeply saddening.
They [the defendants] say they believed in my ‘illegal’ actions, but I repeat once again that my actions were not ‘illegal’. I still stand by my position, and I am not acting against the law.
I ask you to hold me responsible for the damage caused to the state. I will submit a written statement. I do not want their [the other detainees’] children to cry.
I am deeply ashamed of what we have done. The boys presented a ‘fairy tale’ as if it were the truth. But tomorrow they will have to answer to their own consciences and to their people. I cannot ask the court for forgiveness because I regret nothing. Why should I regret anything? I did all this for the honour of my people, to seek the truth. I could apologise to get my sentence reduced, but my conscience will not allow me to do so.
The people of Bukhara have probably already said, ‘What cowards!’ But let them know that there are brave people among the Karakalpaks! I cannot apologise because we were betrayed by the state authorities. Yes, I dream of freedom, but I have no intention of pursuing it; I will take no action to achieve it.
Pushkin has these lines:
‘I sit behind bars in a dank dungeon,
A young eagle raised in captivity.’
An eagle cannot remain in a cage. My people need me! I would like to ask my people not to betray others out of fear of prison! Let the betrayal of these people and my example serve as a lesson to others, and I ask the court to deliver a just verdict.
The final statement was delivered in the Karakalpak language.
Men birinshi processlerdi kórdim, sudya kóp sorawdı beredi, bıraq bunıń áhmiyetin kóbisi oylamaydı.
Aytayın degenim, sizler shıǵarǵan húkim menen jaza ótey beriwimiz múmkin. Bıraq men ózimdi aytatın bolsam, meniń arqamda shańarıǵımnan tısqarı xalıq turıptı. 10 jıldan berli kiyatırǵan mashqalalın sheship berdim. Jazbaǵan jeri qalmaǵan, prezidentke shekem jazǵan, solardı sheship berdim. Ómirden kóp qıyınshılıq kórmegen sudyalar túsinbeydı bunı. Sonıń ushın usıǵan itibar beriwińizdi sorayman.
Muz qansha qattı bolsada ıssıda eriydi.
Qorqaq qiyanetke jaqın boladı deydi, kóp jigitlerimiz turıp bere almadı, atın aytuwdıń keregi joq.
Túrme zor, 5 mezgil awqat berip atır, kiyimlerimizdi juwıp beredi dep atırǵanlarǵa – túrmeni, tariyxtı oqısaq, eshkim maqtamaydı. Túrme jaqsı emes, onıń maqtaytın jeri joq.
Bir zatqa hayran qalaman, Tajimuratov ajapası sebebninen qamaldım deydi. Bıraq odan aldın “Alǵa Qaraqalpaqstan”ǵa qosılǵan. Men aytaman, bastaǵı miy emes máyektiń sari uzını bolmasa ekinshi márte Tajimuratovqa nege qosılasan?
Kórip tursız bi birine asıldı. Bayaǵı dáwirde lawazım ushın ákesinine janaza oqıtpaytuǵın edi. Elege shekem usınday adamlar bar, bul qattı ashınarlı jaǵday.
Meniń “nezakonniy” háreketlerime isendim deyde, men jáne bir márte aytaman, meniń háreketlerim “nezakonniy” emes. Men elege shekem óz pikirimde turıppan, nızamǵa qarsı emespen.
Sizden ótinish, mámleketke tiygen ziyanlardı jazıp beremen. Olardı meniń moynıma qoyıwıńızdı sorayman. Nárestelerdiń jılawın qálememen.
Háreketlerimizden yamman qısınıp atırman, Jigitlerimiz joqtı bar qılıp jazıptı. Erteń hújdanı aldında, xalıq aldında juwap beriwi bar.
Men sudtan keshirim soray almayman. Sebebi púshaymanshılıǵım joq. Nege men púshayman bolıwım kerek? Men millettiń arı ushın isledimǵo, men tek haqiyqattı talap ettim, bolǵanı. Ótirikke keshirim sorasam boladi, jeńilletiw ushın,bıraq hújdanım aytadı, soray almayman keshirimdi.
Mına Buxaradaǵılar da aytqan shıǵar, bular námárt eken dep. Bilsin qaraqalpaqta da martler bar ekenin. Men keshirim soray almayman. Sebebi bul jerde mámlekettiń basqarıw organlarınıń qiyaneti boldı!
Men azatlıqtı árman etemen, bıraq qádemim joq, qádem etpeymen! Pushkinnıń qosıǵı bar:
«Сижу за решёткой в темнице сырой.
Вскормлённый в неволе орёл молодой».
Búrkit kletkada qalsa obal boladı. Men xalıqqa kerekpen! Xalıqtan ótinish qılar edim, túrmeden qorqıp adamlardı satpań. Meni satqanlar basqalarǵa sabaq bolıwın qáler edim, hám sudtı ádil sheshim qabıl qılıwın sorar edim.
Bukhara Regional Court, Nukus, Republic of Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan
16 January 2023
Source: Translation of the Gazeta.uz live broadcast.
More information about the case: HOOK.
Photo: Ma’murjon Obrahmatov / Gazeta.uz.