Author of Nemolchi.uz project leaves Uzbekistan after receiving death threats

“After I received a death threat, my behavior changed. I tried to treat it like someone's stupid joke, but it was scary to walk alone. I started examining every corner from a distance before approaching it, holding a key in my hands with the point outward. I stopped using the elevator in the apartment building and asked my husband to make a light in our part of the site, put a lock on the common door,” she wrote in the Telegram channel.

According to her, she made her final decision after a session with a psychologist last week.

“She said the style of the message is like from a psychopath and that a psychopath can really kill. This spring there are many exacerbations of mental disorders, more than usual. So, I thought maybe I should leave the country for a few weeks. I will definitely be back and hopefully soon. I need to calm down in a safe place,” Irina Matvienko said.

The head of the Nemolchi.uz project added that she never thought that an anonymous death threat on Telegram would affect her.

“I didn’t think that I would really have to leave Uzbekistan in fear for my safety,” she noted.

She reported the threat on April 24 and posted a screenshot. Later, she clarified that on April 28 she applied to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.