Late Uzbek autocrat Karimov’s disgraced daughter alive but “not doing so well”

Late Uzbek autocrat Karimov’s disgraced daughter alive but “not doing so well”
Karimova is said to be looking “tired” and stuck in “really bad” conditions in prison.
By bne IntelliNews June 26, 2018

Gulnara Karimova, the disgraced elder daughter of late Uzbek autocrat Islam Karimov, is still alive and detained in prison outside the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, according to an interview published on June 24 and conducted by RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service with Karimova’s defense attorney, Gregoire Mangeat.

Karimova was for years seen as her father’s heir until she was found to be a central figure in an international probe involving Nordic telecom group TeliaSonera, and Russia’s VimpelCom and MTS. The companies were accused of bribing entities connected to Karimova to win licences to operate 3G and 4G services on the Uzbek mobile market. VimpelCom was fined $795mn by the US and Dutch authorities for the bribes it paid in Uzbekistan and Telia agreed on a $1bn settlement.

Mangeat, who has had trouble contacting Karimova since December 2017, was able to meet with her on April 25 and 26. He described Karimova as looking “tired” and stuck in “really bad” conditions in prison.

After a couple of hours of talking to her "we had to stop...because it was very difficult for her to focus on things and work with me," Mangeat said. "But the next day was better."

Mangeat said Uzbekistan's desire to obtain some or all of Karimova's seized funds may have played a part in the authorities allowing him to meet with his client, according to the interview.

"They realised that by letting me, to some extent, do my job, probably the reproaches would be less intense and then they would increase their chances to get to the money," Mangeat said.

In September, the Uzbek Prosecutor-General's Office said it was seeking to freeze $1.5bn worth of Karimova’s assets in 12 countries. In total, the Uzbek authorities claim Karimova and her associates have stolen amounts of $1.6bn, €26mn, and UZS1.27tn ($311mn), which roughly adds up to $2bn.

In December, Karimova was added to the US Magnitsky list of 52 government-linked people from ex-Soviet countries subject to financial and travel restrictions.

Switzerland announced this month that it plans to return to Uzbekistan approximately CHF700mn (€605.8mn) frozen in connection with money laundering investigations involving Karimova.

Little information about Karimova's status and health condition has been released by the Uzbek authorities since July 2017 when the prosecutor’s office revealed she had been sentenced in 2015 to five years of “restricted freedom” for embezzlement, extortion and tax evasion.

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