Umida Ahmedova: Photographer Facing Trial

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Uzbek photographer and videographer Umida Ahmedova. 90554
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“… it is astonishing to see in many photographs the backward conditions in which people live in the villages, reflected on these pages.” —Excerpt from a “complex expert review” ordered by the Department of Criminal Investigation of the Tashkent Public Prosecutor’s Office. Photo © Umida Ahmedova 90554
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“90 percent of the photographs in the album were taken in remote, backward villages, and the author’s aim is to show the difficult side of life. In particular…a face smeared with flour or some other substance...” —Excerpt from a “complex expert review” ordered by the Department of Criminal Investigation of the Tashkent Public Prosecutor’s Office. Photo © Umida Ahmedova 90554
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“Umida Ahmedova depicts our national rites “Nikokh” [the marriage ceremony in the bride’s house] and “Sunnat-tui” [male circumcision] in a negative light.” —Excerpt from a “complex expert review” ordered by the Department of Criminal Investigation of the Tashkent Public Prosecutor’s Office. Photo © Umida Ahmedova 90554
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“The example of a crying young woman saying goodbye to her father reflects her desire for a blessing. … [T]he photographer wants to convey that the young woman who is getting married has completely lost her freedom and is crying as she says goodbye to her father. In Europe, brides do not cry when they get married because they do not have these feelings. Any Westerner who sees these photographs will definitely think that young women in Uzbekistan are forced to marry and that is why they cry.” —Excerpt from a “complex expert review” ordered by the Department of Criminal Investigation of the Tashkent Public Prosecutor’s Office. Photo © Umida Ahmedova 90554
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“When one leafs through this album, one begins to wonder why people come into this world where only suffering, difficulty, and sorrow exist.” —Excerpt from a “complex expert review” ordered by the Department of Criminal Investigation of the Tashkent Public Prosecutor’s Office. Photo © Umida Ahmedova 90554
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“In the photographs of women…women are only occupied with day-to-day concerns and difficult work.” —Excerpt from a “complex expert review” ordered by the Department of Criminal Investigation of the Tashkent Public Prosecutor’s Office. Photo © Umida Ahmedova 90554
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“While men are mostly occupied with wrestling, cock-fighting, eating plov [a national rice dish], and entertainment.” —Excerpt from a “complex expert review” ordered by the Department of Criminal Investigation of the Tashkent Public Prosecutor’s Office. Photo © Umida Ahmedova 90554
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“…[T]he author sees a street bum, who fell asleep at a monument.” —Excerpt from a “complex expert review” ordered by the Department of Criminal Investigation of the Tashkent Public Prosecutor’s Office. Photo © Umida Ahmedova 90554
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“…[a]n old-beggar-woman – the author takes pictures of these things.” —Excerpt from a “complex expert review” ordered by the Department of Criminal Investigation of the Tashkent Public Prosecutor’s Office. Photo © Umida Ahmedova 90554
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The review panel concluded in general that “[A] pessimistic mood reigns throughout the photo album. Put simply, life is shown to be very ugly. A foreigner who has never been to Uzbekistan, but who is familiar with this album, would reach the conclusion that this is a country where people live in the Middle Ages.” The image on the left is one of over 100 photographs in the book. —Excerpt from a “complex expert review” ordered by the Department of Criminal Investigation of the Tashkent Public Prosecutor’s Office. Photo © Umida Ahmedova 90554
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Umida Ahmedova. Photo courtesy of Umida Ahmedova. 90554
In 2007, Uzbek photographer and videographer Umida Ahmedova published a compilation of over 100 photographs entitled “Women and Men: From Dawn till Dusk.” Ahmedova is currently facing slander and insult charges brought against her, in part, for publication of these photographs, eleven of which are featured in this slideshow.
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