E/CN.4/2003/68/Add.2 page 32 court proceedings record the presence of a lawyer during the trial. On 29 July 1999, Uigun and Ozbek were said to have been sentenced to death. It is believed that they had been charged with several articles, in particular article 159. An appeal is said to have been launched to no avail. On 23 September 1999, the Supreme Court is said to have confirmed in camera the death sentence. Their mother is also said to have written a complaint letter to the General Procurator. She reportedly saw them on 2 August in Tashkent City prison, also called Tashturma. It is reported that their faces were covered with bruises, in particular around the eyes and mouth. They are said to have claimed that they had been electrocuted while being held at the SNB lock-up in Tashkent and one of her sons complained of bleeding from his mouth for several consecutive days while being held at the SNB. Their mother is reported as having to pay bribes to prison guards in order to be able to provide them with food which, she later learnt, never reached them at all. According to the information received, she was prevented from giving them any medicine. At the time of writing, the mother did not know whether her sons had been executed. It is also alleged that the family is constantly harassed by police officers coming to their house to ask questions and insult family members. Sultanova Dharman is also believed to have been arrested on several occasions at road checkpoints. In particular, on 18 August 2002, she was arrested at a checkpoint near Bukhara because she had been recognized by a police officer. She was allegedly insulted, accused of being a Wahhabist, and threatened with death in prison. It is reported that she was held there for three days before being accompanied to Tashkent by two police officers. As a result of this incident, her health is said to have seriously deteriorated. In particular, she reportedly had high blood pressure for six consecutive days. Complaints were reportedly lodged with the Procurator’s office of Khorzem and with the General Procurator’s Office, to no avail. Shechnasar Mataripovich Yakubov was reportedly arrested on 13 January 1999 in Hibinsk by SNB officers. He was allegedly given electroshocks and was beaten with a baton on his head. As a result, it is believed that he had a bruise on his face, swollen eyes, burst lips, headache, kidney problems and leg injuries. He is also said to have lost weight. The SNB officers are said to have wanted to make him confess to committing crimes related to his religious beliefs. His trial was held on 29 July 1999 allegedly without the presence of a lawyer. According to the information received, he was sentenced to death. Since Yakubov’s parents were threatened by the SNB officers, they have not taken any domestic actions. At the time of writing, it was not known whether Shechnasar Mataripovich Yakubov had been executed. Uitkir Bahodirovich Yusupov, aged 25, and Savdor Sobirovich Allayarov, aged 27, were neighbours living in the same house in Urganchek. They were reportedly arrested on 29 January 1999 by officers of the SNB and later taken to Tashturma. It is believed that the charges were related to their religious beliefs. They were allegedly beaten at the SNB office of Tashkent and also by police officers from Tashkent. When Savdor Sobirovich Allayarov’s mother was allowed to visit her son in Tashturma, she reportedly saw his eyes swollen and bruises around his eyes. He had reportedly lost weight. His head, legs and the kidney area were said to be hurting. The mother of Uitkir Bahodirovich Yusupov visited her son on 31 January in Tashturma and reported her son bearing the same marks. The Regional Court of Tashkent sentenced both to death on 29 July 1999. Their relatives were not allowed to attend the trial.