KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The son of Abbas Ibrahimzada, a prominent businessman and former Afghanistan MP, has appealed for his father’s immediate release from detention in Uzbekistan, warning that his father is critically ill and his life is at risk.
Ibrahimzada has been in detention in Uzbekistan for several weeks. The Uzbek authorities have not publicly explained the reasons for his detention, and his family says there has been no formal legal process to address the allegations against him.
In a statement published on Ibrahimzada’s personal Facebook page, his son described his father as “innocent” and said he has been detained as “part of a conspiracy by political and business rivals, without any valid evidence or documentation.”
“Some time ago, my father underwent liver transplant surgery. He is seriously ill, and his physical and health condition is extremely critical,” the statement reads. “If he is not released from detention immediately, my father’s life is at risk. We, his children, appeal to the Republic of Uzbekistan, the United Nations, and human rights organizations to request his immediate release.”
Ibrahimzada’s son also requested the establishment of a fair and impartial committee by the Uzbek government to review the circumstances surrounding his father’s detention. “We are ready to respond to any accusations or claims in the presence of free media, officials from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s embassy in Tashkent, and before the court,” he said. “Because my father’s health condition has become critically serious, if, God forbid, any incident occurs, and my father is harmed, the Uzbek government and his enemies and rivals will be held responsible.”
According to his son, Ibrahimzada has made considerable investments in both Uzbekistan and Afghanistan over the years. He said nearly 200 Uzbek citizens are currently employed by the Ibrahimzada Group, which has also paid about $5 million in taxes to the Uzbek government over the past years.
