Kun.uz has obtained additional details about the detained Uzbeks in the UAE.
As previously reported, on November 25, following the detention of three Uzbek nationals suspected of involvement in the murder of an Israeli rabbi, a group of Uzbeks living and working in Dubai were also detained. It has now been revealed that the number of detainees was much higher than initially reported — far more than nine individuals.
Seven detainees have since been released. Among them, four had valid UAE work visas and were held between November 25 and December 7. “They were treated well and no physical force was used against them. After their release, they were called to the Uzbek consulate for conversation. They are now back at work,” said the brother of one of the released individuals in a conversation with Kun.uz.
Three others, however, were forcibly deported to Uzbekistan after interrogation. One of these deportees detailed their detention and deportation to Kun.uz.
“After news about the murder of the Jewish rabbi began to spread, drones hovered over our rented villa for three days, monitoring us. We realized something was likely to happen, but we didn’t leave. We just kept working as usual.
One night, black-clad commandos arrived in a helicopter armed with laser-guided weapons. They raided the villa and took us away in a terrifying manner. We were blindfolded, and we had no idea where they were taking us — whether it was a government facility or another location.
At the facility, there were about 50 other Uzbeks and Tajiks. Apart from those I lived with, I didn’t recognize anyone. For the first three days, we were only interrogated. Surprisingly, no questions about the murder were asked. Instead, they asked where we lived, what we did, and what our interests were. They went through our phones endlessly. There was no physical or psychological abuse. We don’t even know who the interrogators were. When they asked which languages I spoke, I mentioned Russian and Turkish. One of the interrogators asked questions in Russian, albeit with an accent and some difficulty.
After the three days of questioning, we were placed in individual dark capsules where we stayed isolated. We could only eat and drink but had no communication with anyone. No one spoke to us or asked further questions, and we couldn’t speak with one another. Eventually, four detainees with work visas were released, and I later learned they remained in Dubai to resume work. However, three of us were blindfolded, handcuffed, and escorted to a plane for deportation. They returned our phones and passports, but my other belongings, including my driver’s license, money, and clothes were left there.
