Life behind bars in a Tashkent prison -- where inmates are allowed to shower just once a week -- is a far cry from the jet-set lifestyle Gulnara Karimova once enjoyed when she split time between her luxury homes in Asia and Europe.
But even in prison, the 52-year-old daughter of former authoritarian Uzbek President Islam Karimov enjoys special treatment and privileges not available to other inmates, claims a former inmate who served at the same penitentiary in the Zangiota district of the Tashkent region.
“She has four beds that she has separated with sheets from the others in the cell [so she has privacy],” the woman said in an interview with prominent Uzbek blogger Kirill Altman.
“[Gulnara] wears a uniform that is similar to other inmates’ uniforms, but hers are made from more breathable fabrics. She also wears shoes with laces, even though shoelaces are not allowed in prison,” claimed the inmate, whose identity is known but who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Karimova -- who was convicted of embezzlement, money laundering, and other charges -- does not eat with others in the prison canteen but rather has food delivered to her from outside of the prison, the former inmate says.
“She gets her food delivered…when there is nobody around,” the former prisoner said. “It’s not an ordinary parcel of some 10 kilos, it’s much bigger.”
Karimova exploited her position as the Uzbek president’s daughter to gain prestigious diplomatic posts in Europe while also amassing enormous wealth and wielding influence in Uzbekistan’s business world.
In addition to her various businesses, Karimova also released pop songs under the stage name Googoosha, designed jewelry, served as Tashkent’s permanent representative to the UN in Geneva in 2008, and was named Uzbek ambassador to Spain in 2010.
But she disappeared from public view in 2014 amid reports of falling out of favor with her father, who ruled Uzbekistan from 1989 until his death in 2016.
Karimova, who was once tipped as her father’s successor to the presidency, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2015, though it was shortened to five years served in house arrest. But in 2020 she received another 13-year jail term in a separate case.
In 2019, she was transferred to prison for violating the terms of her house arrest. Karimova’s crimes, according to the court, inflicted damages of at least $1.6 billion on Uzbekistan.
Karimova also faces a myriad of criminal charges in the United States, Switzerland, and other countries in connection with alleged illegal business practices.
'She Gets What She Wants'
Karimova previously claimed she faced mistreatment in prison, while her lawyer and family complained that they were denied access to Karimova.
Her mother, Tatyana Karimova, said last year that she wasn’t allowed to visit her daughter in prison.
But the former inmate claimed that Karimova isn’t mistreated in jail and -- even though she “doesn’t obey the rules” -- is not punished.
“There are some claims that she gets bullied [in prison] but…nobody bullies her. In fact, it’s her who provokes [conflicts]. [Prison authorities] make a lot of concessions to her that others don’t get,” the woman claimed, adding that Karimova often “gets whatever she wants.”
“Once she wanted to meet another inmate [from a different part of the prison compound]. She went to the guards and became hysterical. The guards then brought that inmate and the two women went for a walk for about an hour. It’s a kind of VIP treatment. If anyone else would try that, she would be punished,” the woman claimed.
The former inmate also claimed that Karimova one began a “rebellion” in prison, though she didn’t provide any details about what allegedly happened.
RFE/RL cannot independently verify the inmate’s claims. But several other women who served in the same penal colony and a prison source made similar allegations to RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service.
RFE/RL has asked Karimova lawyer, Gregoire Mangeat, for comment on the allegations but received no reply by the time of publication.
Gulrukh Karimova (no relation to Gulnara), the warden of the women’s prison in Tashkent where Gulnara Karimova is being held, did not respond to RFE/RL’s request for comment. However, one prison employee told RFE/RL on condition of anonymity that Gulnara Karimova and her “behavior” and “provocations” have created a headache for prison authorities at Zangiota.
"The prison administration has several times had to appeal to high-placed authorities about Gulnara Karimova’s behavior and the provocations she staged against other inmates,” the employee said.
“On one hand, we are instructed to be cautious in handling her. On the other hand, we were told: ‘Don’t give her any special treatment,’” the prison worker added.
Describing the overall situation in the prison where Karimova is serving, the former inmate said it’s a place with poor ventilation, relatively good food, and limited access to water and sanitation.
“Inmates are normally allowed to take a shower only once a week. In the summer, twice a week. But those who work can take a shower every day,” she said, adding that hot water is very limited.
