An assassination plan

Karimov has been struggling to defeat his opposed Salih for as long as 10 years. In May 2001, 2 million USD was paid to realize the assassination plan towards Salih. Mikhail Markelov produced a documentary on the event in 2001. It was released on TV Center (Russian Channel) last year. (Brief account of the documentary would be proper for this article)

⌠OUR VERSION: UNDER
THE SIGNATURE STAMP"SECRETLY

The first sequences - political life of post-Soviet countries. On the screen - Michael Markelov. M. Markelov: - Good evening! Michael Markelov is with you. The third part of the program "Our version: Under the signature stamp - Secretly" is on the air. Recently President of sunny Uzbekistan Islam Karimov paid Russia a goodwill visit. Before collapsing of the Union, Uzbekistan was famous with its cotton, with its best pilaf in Central Asia, soccer team "Pakhtakor", famous Bukharian carpets as well as Asia hospitality. Generally speaking, it is an abundant land. Besides, Uzbekistan was our strategic springboard in the complicated Central Asian region. Because of the closeness of fighting Afghanistan caused politicians all over the world to pay intently attention to Central Asia.... All political oppositions to the President Islam Karimov are in forced political exile, i.e. (that is to say) in foreign countries. One of the most dangerous to Karimov and his closest associates is the leader of the opposition Salay Madaminov, more famous in Uzbekistan by his pen name as Muhammad Salih, lives and works in Norway.
Muhammad Salih: "I left Uzbekistan in 1993 under pressure of the Uzbekistan's authorities, to say the least of it. In reality, literally my life was in danger. I was warned by faithful to me sources from the Ministry of Home affairs that Karimov, President of Uzbekistan wants seriously to get rid of me - the leader of opposition. Because of this I had to leave Uzbekistan on April of 1993".
+Shots of the political life of Uzbekistan in 80 and photos of Muhammad Salih, speaking at the meeting.
+Shots from February 19th of 1999, Tashkent explosions.
M. Markelov's voice:
"In 1999 in Tashkent it thundered explosions. "Zaporodjetz" car filled with explosive and left in front of the National Bank and National Security Service of Uzbekistan's buildings was torn into pieces. The most powerful explosion thundered near the Government building. In the result of the explosions innocent people died, nobody from the authorities of the Republic did not suffer. Before the investigation (of this event) Karimov accused Islamists, as well as Muhammad Salih in this act of terrorism...
In 2000, an Uzbek businessman, a former worker of the Ministry of Home affairs of Uzbekistan by the name of Bahram Muminakhunov, who worked in Moscow and was engaged in a cotton business with Chechen partners flew Tashkent. His former fellow workers invited him to Tashkent. They invited him to a talk to the National Security Service of Uzbekistan, and then to Interpol. ''
These representatives of the Chechen people by coincidence knew Muhammad Salih too. Representatives of the National Security Service of Uzbekistan asked our hero Bahram Muminakhunov to organize a meeting with the group of Chechens. Muminakhunov didn't know in what a complicated situation he will be. He fulfills the request of the Uzbek security officers - Interpol workers. The witness is Bahram Muminakhunov.
TV journalist's question: "What kind of friends they were whom you brought to Tashkent?" B. Muminakhunov:
"These lads are Chechens. They are normal people who worked; they had connections with Muhammad Salih. Well, in general, they told me: "You know, they suggested us to eliminate him. They offered (us) for this money. What do you think about this?" I told them: "What can I say about this. This is your decision, decide yourself. Generally speaking, what's the question?" Well, when they had gone, I was called by one of the top authorities of the National Security Service and MVD (=Ministry of Home affairs) and said: "Do you understand that there exist such problems, that he (=Salih) is number 1 terrorist for Uzbekistan, it is he who had organized explosions in the territory of Uzbekistan, he is a real wahhabit, and he is going to disturb the situation in Uzbekistan As far as you know these Chechens well, we entrust this job to you as a citizen of Uzbekistan." "
TV journalist's question:
"In what sense they 'entrust this job to you'?"
B. Muminakhunov: "They entrust the problem of abolishment, the problem of agreement between them, the problem of sum in cash, and how these money will be paid for."
TV journalist: "I beg your pardon, did I understand you rightly, they suggested you to be a mediator between Chechens and 'customers' who ordered Salih?"
B. Muminakhunov: "Well, in general this 'job' continued for several months; first they did not agree about the price. They (=Chechens) said $ 2 millions, but these ones (=Uzbek authorities) said $600 thousand; in general, towards the end they came to a &1 million, and this money will be preserved in my own account, and they will commit this action."
TV journalist:
"I'm sorry, was the account personally your own, should they transfer money your name here in Moscow?"
B. Muminakhunov: "This was not necessary, in Moscow, in (Arab) Emirates; the main point was the guarantee that our side, I mean the Uzbek side, would pay this amount of money."
TV journalist:
"Do you think that here is an interest, direct command of the president of Uzbekistan?"
B. Muminakhunov: "Of course, I do, because neither the minister of MVD (Ministry of Home affairs), nor the head of the National Security Service cannot take the initiative by themselves in this case. Of course, this is an order, because they have no right to go to him with such an offer. They are not in a position to settle such problems."
TV journalist:
"So, the order was accepted. At last Muminakhunov has understood where he was carried away; he was frightened and did not know whom to address, to ask help. Russian Security Service is not familiar to him. However, he did not know Salih personally too. At that time he decided to tell the customers that their order is fulfilled, i.e. Salih was killed. Thus, Muminakhunov wanted to drop out of the game. He was sure that for a while they will leave him in peace, and for the time being the customers examine, he will be able to hide himself somewhere abroad. He was not able to leave Russia. And he came to our editorial board to tell all this inconceivable story. By that time the Chechens, having received an order to eliminate Salih, part of the payment, and as a matter of fact, they threw away the customers - National Security Service of Uzbekistan and Uzbek Interpol. They get in touch with Salih and warn him about the danger.
TV journalist:
"As I know, you pretended to be missing, didn't you?"
M. Salih:
"These Chechens asked me that I should be missing for a short of time. Without this action it was impossible to unmask them. Nobody knew, everybody considered that I really disappeared.
TV journalist: "Why did you act in this way? Did you need any evidence?"
M. Salih:
"Yes, I did act in this way in order to get any evidence, proof, because I knew that to assassinate me is Karimov's oldest wish."
Michael Markelov.
M. Markelov: "I would have never believe that the Interpol of Uzbekistan is engaged in political assassination. It is beyond belief, but it is fact. Now you will hear two telephone conversations between Bahram Muminakhunov and the director of the Interpol of Uzbekistan Mahmud Hayitov. In the first case the conversation turned to money - to pay an order. In the second case the director of the Interpol demands Muminakhunov the proof that Salih is dead. In the telephone conversation director of the Interpol of Uzbekistan Mahmud Hayitov speaks about the document. Under the word 'document' he means 'corpse'. The corpse of the leader of the opposition Muhammad Salih."
B. Muminakhunov is tackling through phone.
B. Muminakhunov: "They worry about the money. They say that it should be near 350 ..." Hayitov's voice through the phone:
"Well..."
Muminakhunov: "... it should be cash ... hello?"
Hayitov's voice: " in Moscow, yes?"
Muminakhunov:
"Yes, in Moscow ... the rest to the account.."
Hayitov:
"Good, no problem. You calm them, now I go to the boss, at five o'clock ... at that time I will ... him... Everything is done, have you found (him), haven't you? ... it means ... Is it possible to put 500 into their hands?.."
Muminakhunov:
" $500 is into their hands".
Hayitov: "Yes, well, in principle, there is no difference for us..."
Muminakhunov:
"Well, I understood..."
Hayitov:
"Was the document found?"
Muminakhunov:
"Yes!."
Hayitov:
"It's good, the main thing is that (it) was found..."
Episode of another telephone call between Muminakhunov and Hayitov.
Hayitov's voice through phone:
"When I speak about the document I mean a man, you understand it, don't you?" Muminakhunov:
"I understand, yes..."
Hayitov:
"I don't say that any kind document should be sent to us... when they go to that place... find... competent organs turn up for this job, turn up for this job, it's correct..."
Muminakhunov:
"Well..."
Hayitov:
"Competent (organs) ... Identify (him)... There is police there, here is
militia...
Muminakhunov:
"Well..."
Hayitov:
"They will examine ... he... the document won't lie for ever somewhere, is it true? They will give it... they will give it (=corpse) to its owners ... in order its owners ... bury him in the safe..." Shots: militiamen and militia motor-cyclists (from Karimov's cortege), which are stand in front of the Hotel Radisson in Moscow. Then in the shots: luxurious foyer ad corridors of the hotel.
Voice of the TV journalist: "At our disposal the exact dates and names of the personal from the National Security Service and Interpol of Uzbekistan who flew to Moscow on the eve of president Karimov's official visit. All these so called agents stayed at the hotel Radisson-Slavyanskaya, which is close to the Kievsk railway station of Moscow. Here they met with an involuntary witness Bahram Muminakhunov and discussed with him the problem how to give the Chechens money for an order. They failed to conclude a bargain, because Muminakhunov has no proof that Salih is dead. Although, it was stated by Uzbek-Interpol workers, information about the assassination of the leader of the opposition was given to the top, president Karimov. Guys were just a little in a hurry..."
Muhammad Salih: "From the very beginning Islam Karimov was informed about all activities. That's to say, it was an attempt upon somebody's life, an action on the government level. It was very serious. It means that all authorities - from the top authority till the head of the (Uzbek) Interpol - all of them were involved in this game."
TV journalist: "Why did the Chechens come to you and roughly speaking, they created this situation? Why didn't they fulfill the order?"
M. Salih:
"Number one, these young men, i.e. that man who had called and informed, knew me very well. When I had visited Moscow in 1998, he was one of my body-guards."
TV journalist:
"It means that those men who had guarded you, were offered to assassinate you?"
M. Salih: "It was an accident.
"Michael Markelov: "I won't touch the theme here whether Salih is good or bad, is he Islamist or secular poet-intellectual, who decided to devote himself to the struggle for the power in Uzbekistan. Here the point is that the Security Service (of Uzbekistan) took an active part in preparing a political assassination. Several years ago in Byelorussia president Alexander Lukashenko told me a very didactic story. For four years this tape was preserved in our archive. We had our doubts that such an event could really happen. Now there is no doubt about that."
President of Byelorussia Alexander Lukashenko conversing with M. Markelov President of Byelorussia Alexander Lukashenko says:
"Karimov told me that some kind of journalist who worked there, had criticized him. I don't remember whether he was local or Moscow (journalist)... Well, he once criticized him; I don't know whether he was there... He (=Karimov) says: "We caught him in Moscow, and sent to Tashkent... and that's it..." (This secret video-tape was done in 1997, i.e. a year later when Moscow journalist Sergey Grebenyuk was killed in Tashkent (he was killed in 1996)."
On the shots: Tashkent streets. Voice of the journalist:
"When Salih was announced to be alive, in Uzbekistan there began some changes in positions of the key personnel. We know for certain that who suffered first was one of the organizers of the special operation of Salih's elimination, director (now former) of the Interpol Mahmud Hayitov. On May 10th he was fired from his job. We called Interpol of Uzbekistan, and we were told that they do not know such a person with such a name in this organization, i.e. no man is a problem. The former director of Interpol of Uzbekistan have disappeared, nobody knows his whereabouts. If this will be continued, in this case we can give our version concerning future changes in the positions of the key personnel in Uzbekistan. Most likely, for the failed operation, for international scandal because of this, the following officials will be punished: Director of the National Security Service of Uzbekistan, Head of the Unti-terror Department and Minister of Home affairs. We cannot finish this story here, because no one of the authorities of Uzbekistan did agree to take part in our program. We always are ready to let persons concerned in this ugly story have the floor. We will continue our investigation. We will watch the situation around the leader of the opposition Muhammad Salih in Uzbekistan intently. Michael Markelov was with you. Good-bye, till Sunday!"