Sanjar Umarov
Encyclopedia
Sanjar Guiess Umarov is a prominent Uzbek
politician and businessman. He is the chairman of Sunshine Uzbekistan, the main party in opposition to president Islam Karimov's authoritarian rule. He was arrested in October 2005 for embezzlement
—charges his supporters say are politically motivated—and went on trial in January 2006.
, Uzbekistan, as the middle child of five in a large family of intellectuals. His father, Guiess Ekub Umarov, was a physicist; his mother, Nabira Shamsieva, was a university English instructor. Umarov attended the Tashkent University of Irrigation and Mechanization of Agriculture, earning a bachelor's degree
in electrical engineering
. Following this, he served as an intercontinental ballistic missile
technician at Bauman's Technical University in Moscow
. He went on to the Tashkent Polytechnic Institute for a PhD
; his dissertation, defended in 1982, was on applications of solar energy.
Upon earning his degree, Umarov gained a position at Algeria University in Biskra
, Algeria
, teaching physics
and engineering
. He returned to Uzbekistan in 1988, where he participated in the establishment of Uzbekistan's first business school in 1989.
Following his return, he became interested in the possibilities of mobile phone
s in the newly independent states of the former Soviet Union
, and founded telecommunications company Uzdunrobita
in February 1991, with the backing of investors from the United States
. Following Uzdunrobita's success, Umarov went on to found a number of other businesses in Uzbekistan; in addition to telecommunications, he concentrated on companies related to agriculture
, petroleum
, and natural gas
. He became particularly known for his close ties with western investors, and worked largely to facilitate foreign investment.
In March 2005, inspired by the overthrow of Kyrgistan's authoritarian leader Askar Akayev
in the Tulip Revolution
, Umarov and a group of other intellectuals and businessmen united into the opposition group Sunshine Uzbekistan, of which Umarov became the chairman. This led to a rocky few months of confrontation with Karimov's government, with Umarov gaining prominence after the Andijan massacre
in May 2005.
In October 2005, he was arrested on charges of embezzlement and money laundering
. His supporters allege that these charges are politically motivated, pointing to the fact that his arrest came shortly after he sent a letter to Parliament advocating reforms. Umarov's lawyer further claims to have found him naked and incoherent during a visit to his jail cell, and supporters allege that he was drugged. Human rights group
s accuse Uzbekistan's government of regularly drugging prisoners to extract confessions, an allegation the government denies.
Umarov's trial began in January 2006, and he was convicted in March 2006 of heading a criminal group laundering money through offshore companies, tax avoidance, and hiding foreign currency. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison (reduced to 10 years under an amnesty agreement) and over US$8 million in fines.
On 7 November 2009, as an effect of U.S. lobbying, Umarov was granted amnesty and shortly received asylum in the U.S.
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
politician and businessman. He is the chairman of Sunshine Uzbekistan, the main party in opposition to president Islam Karimov's authoritarian rule. He was arrested in October 2005 for embezzlement
Embezzlement
Embezzlement is the act of dishonestly appropriating or secreting assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted....
—charges his supporters say are politically motivated—and went on trial in January 2006.
Biography
Umarov was born in TashkentTashkent
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and of the Tashkent Province. The officially registered population of the city in 2008 was about 2.2 million. Unofficial sources estimate the actual population may be as much as 4.45 million.-Early Islamic History:...
, Uzbekistan, as the middle child of five in a large family of intellectuals. His father, Guiess Ekub Umarov, was a physicist; his mother, Nabira Shamsieva, was a university English instructor. Umarov attended the Tashkent University of Irrigation and Mechanization of Agriculture, earning a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
. Following this, he served as an intercontinental ballistic missile
Intercontinental ballistic missile
An intercontinental ballistic missile is a ballistic missile with a long range typically designed for nuclear weapons delivery...
technician at Bauman's Technical University in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. He went on to the Tashkent Polytechnic Institute for a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
; his dissertation, defended in 1982, was on applications of solar energy.
Upon earning his degree, Umarov gained a position at Algeria University in Biskra
Biskra
Biskra is the capital city of Biskra province, Algeria. In 2007, its population was recorded as 207,987.During Roman times the town was called Vescera, though this may have been simply a Latin transliteration of the native name. Around 200 AD under Septimius Severus' reign, it was seized by the...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, teaching physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
. He returned to Uzbekistan in 1988, where he participated in the establishment of Uzbekistan's first business school in 1989.
Following his return, he became interested in the possibilities of mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s in the newly independent states of the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, and founded telecommunications company Uzdunrobita
Uzdunrobita
Uzdunrobita is the largest mobile phone operator in Uzbekistan.Uzdunrobita was founded on August 19, 1991, as a joint venture between a group of American investors, the International Communications Group, with a 45% stake; and the government of what was then the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic,...
in February 1991, with the backing of investors from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Following Uzdunrobita's success, Umarov went on to found a number of other businesses in Uzbekistan; in addition to telecommunications, he concentrated on companies related to agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
, and natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
. He became particularly known for his close ties with western investors, and worked largely to facilitate foreign investment.
In March 2005, inspired by the overthrow of Kyrgistan's authoritarian leader Askar Akayev
Askar Akayev
Askar Akayevich Akayev served as the President of Kyrgyzstan from 1990 until his overthrow in the March 2005 Tulip Revolution....
in the Tulip Revolution
Tulip Revolution
The Tulip Revolution or First Kyrgyz Revolution refers to the overthrow of President Askar Akayev and his government in the Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan after the parliamentary elections of February 27 and of March 13, 2005...
, Umarov and a group of other intellectuals and businessmen united into the opposition group Sunshine Uzbekistan, of which Umarov became the chairman. This led to a rocky few months of confrontation with Karimov's government, with Umarov gaining prominence after the Andijan massacre
Andijan massacre
The Andijan massacre occurred when Uzbek Interior Ministry and National Security Service troops fired into a crowd of protesters in Andijan, Uzbekistan on 13 May 2005. Estimates of those killed on 13 May range from between 187, the official count of the government, and 5,000 people, with most...
in May 2005.
In October 2005, he was arrested on charges of embezzlement and money laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
. His supporters allege that these charges are politically motivated, pointing to the fact that his arrest came shortly after he sent a letter to Parliament advocating reforms. Umarov's lawyer further claims to have found him naked and incoherent during a visit to his jail cell, and supporters allege that he was drugged. Human rights group
Human rights group
A human rights group, also known in United States of America as 'civil liberties group' is a Non-governmental organization which is an advocate for human rights through identification of their violation, collecting incident data, its analysis and publication, promotion of public awareness while...
s accuse Uzbekistan's government of regularly drugging prisoners to extract confessions, an allegation the government denies.
Umarov's trial began in January 2006, and he was convicted in March 2006 of heading a criminal group laundering money through offshore companies, tax avoidance, and hiding foreign currency. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison (reduced to 10 years under an amnesty agreement) and over US$8 million in fines.
On 7 November 2009, as an effect of U.S. lobbying, Umarov was granted amnesty and shortly received asylum in the U.S.