Date of publication: October 18, 2010
Source: Uznews.net
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Teachers from Jizak Region’s Bahmal District say that the head of their district, Akmal Abdullayev, has beaten up teachers and forced them to kiss the shoes of a prosecutor and a police officer. The regional administration has denied the allegation.
Uznews.net has been trying to access Akmal Abdullayev, 39, for several days for comment on his use of force against teachers during the ongoing cotton-picking campaign in the district.
His secretary said that he was picking cotton in neighbouring Mirzachul District and would not come back to his office until 1 November.
He said that the regional authorities had sent Abdullayev there to help the district meet its cotton target.
Teachers said they had fallen victim to Abdullayev’s violence ahead of Day of Teachers, marked in Uzbekistan on 1 October, when he scolded them at a meeting in Mirzachul District for sluggish cotton harvest.
He showered teachers with abuses and beat several school directors, a witness said. After that Abdullayev knocked two teachers over and started kicking them.
The scene culminated in Abdullayev demanding the teacher kiss the shoes of a prosecutor and a police officer.
When the teachers refused to obey his orders, Abdullayev added few more kicks to force them to fulfil his orders.
Akmal Abdullayev’s violent measures do not stop there. The turonzamin.org website reported that he had demanded each farmer in the village of Saroy send 10 to 20 people to pick cotton.
When villager Botir Artikbayev refused to obey, the head of district demanded his resignation and cut power supplies to the village.
He applied this punishment in other villages that had failed to meet their cotton targets. As of 12 October, electricity was cut off from 21 villages in Bahmal District.
Abdullayev’s Bahmal District does not produce cotton, so he sends residents of his district to Mirzachul District to pick cotton 180 km from home.
The Jizak Region authorities denied reports about Abdullayev’s use of force. “It is impossible that he has forced teachers to kiss the shoes of a prosecutor,” an aide to the regional governor said. “Had it been true, we would have known about it and taken the necessary measures.”