"I faced hell but stayed strong": The story of Ruzigul, who is left with four children without a husband and a roof over her head.
Ruzigul (the heroine's name has been changed for safety reasons), a 40-year-old resident of the Turtkul district of Karakalpakstan and mother of four children, faced cruelty and injustice following her husband's death. Her mother-in-law decided that Ruzigul had no right to their home and, to survive, she along with her sons destroyed all of Ruzigul's belongings and expelled her from the house. Left without a roof over her head, Ruzigul endured physical violence from her mother-in-law and her sons. In search of justice and safety, she moved to Tashkent into the unknown and began a new life. Ruzigul sought support from government agencies and law enforcement to reclaim her home and obtain protection. However, she faced rejection everywhere. Yet, she was not alone in her struggle; the "Nihol" Initiative Support and Development Center and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Uzbekistan helped her in her quest for justice. With the assistance of a lawyer provided by the "Nihol" center, Ruzigul managed to navigate through 8 administrative and 2 criminal courts. However, the civil lawsuit for the return of her home is still ongoing.
This is a rare case and a success story that can serve as an example for many on how to fight for their rights and not give up.
Life Before the Tragedy
“When my mother-in-law and her sons beat me on the seventh day after my husband’s funeral and destroyed all our belongings, I was in shock and didn’t know how to react. It was a complete surprise to me,” recalls Ruzigul.
Ruzigul lived separately from her mother-in-law with her husband and children. The plot of land on which they built their home was once owned by her mother-in-law and was transferred to Ruzigul's husband through a gift deed. They built the house together using money that her husband earned in Russia. Several times a year, he either visited or sent money. That’s how they lived: building a home, raising their children, and caring for their future.
The Turtkul district, where Ruzigul was born and raised, is located 650 km from Tashkent. This area is known for its harsh climate and unique nature. In summer, temperatures can rise to +55 °C, while winter brings severe frosts, with the thermometer dropping to -25 °C. The sandy winds of the desert and scarce rainfall make life in this region a true challenge.
The Death of My Husband Changed My Life
In April 2019, a tragic message unexpectedly arrived from Russia—Ruzigul’s husband died of a stroke at the age of 36. After his body was brought back home and the funeral was held, just seven days later, Ruzigul’s life turned into a nightmare that continues to this day.
The mother of her deceased husband, along with her children—two sons, a daughter, and a relative—destroyed everything left from Ruzigul’s husband and demanded that she and her children leave the home that was inherited after her husband's death. The goal of the mother-in-law and her sons was to take possession of the house, which was legally owned by Ruzigul's husband.
That same night, Ruzigul's mother-in-law and her sons took her and her children to the house where the mother-in-law lived. There, close relatives of Ruzigul’s deceased husband beat her in ways that left no visible marks—on her back, stomach, and shoulders. They starved her for several days. On the third day, Ruzigul managed to escape with her youngest son, seizing the moment when she asked to go to the toilet in the yard. They reached the first house they encountered, where strangers helped her get a taxi to her mother’s home.
Upon reaching a safe place, Ruzigul reported the incident to the local inspector, but he refused to take action, claiming it was a domestic dispute.
A week later, the mother-in-law, along with her children, showed up at Ruzigul’s mother’s house, demanding to take her back with her children. Relatives of her husband began throwing stones at the house. They were stopped thanks to the intervention of neighbors, but the law enforcement officers who arrived after the scandal took no action, considering the incident a mere family quarrel.
Despite the expiration of all deadlines for claiming inheritance rights, the mother-in-law annulled the gift deed, and the house where Ruzigul lived with her husband passed into her mother-in-law's ownership.
A New Life in Tashkent
A month later, Ruzigul moved to Tashkent with her children. She did not want to stay with her parents, relying on them to support four children. Tashkent was chosen not by chance: it housed all judicial instances, the investigative department, and other agencies where she hoped to find justice. Additionally, her concern for her own life and the safety of her children was a decisive factor in moving 650 km away from her homeland.
In Tashkent, Ruzigul and her children lived in industrial workshops, where living conditions were extremely difficult. These workshops, which produced earthenware dishes, provided dormitories primarily intended for newcomers from the regions. They lived in makeshift concrete structures, sometimes even without windows, with toilets and showers located outside. Ruzigul and her children shared one room, sometimes having to live with other workers. Despite the challenging conditions, this was the only way for the family to stay together and earn a living.
The children attended school and helped their mother after classes. Over three years, they had to change workshops and residences four times as the businesses closed down.
Meanwhile, the house where Ruzigul lived with her husband and children in the Turtkul district was completely destroyed by relatives of her deceased husband: not a single item remained. All the household appliances that the Ruzigul family had acquired over the years of living together—a refrigerator, vacuum cleaner, gas stove, dishes—were destroyed. Even the ceiling, plumbing, and pipes were broken. She repeatedly sought help from authorities but faced total inaction each time.
A Turning Point in Ruzigul's Case
In March 2024, Ruzigul finally moved from the workshop dormitory to an apartment on the outskirts of Tashkent, which she rents with her children. Last year, she married off her eldest daughter to a young man who worked with them in one of the workshops.
Ruzigul filed claims for compensation for the material damage caused by her mother-in-law and her children, but the case remained stagnant for eight months.
The turning point came when Ruzigul managed to secure an appointment with the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan, head of the Investigative Department, Ramazon Ashropov. After this, the case was set in motion, and an investigation began. The attitude of the investigative authorities towards Ruzigul, who had previously been ignored, also changed.
Ruzigul felt that her voice was finally being heard. The investigation began to work actively, new expert examinations were appointed, and additional interrogations were conducted. Ruzigul provided all the necessary evidence and documents that had previously been ignored. Gradually, the case began to gain clarity, and the responsible parties started feeling pressure from the law. However, she lacked the funds to continue the legal proceedings, pay fees, and especially to hire a lawyer. It was then that she learned about the "Nihol" center—a public organization supported by the UNDP initiative, which provides comprehensive support to women in crisis situations, including those who have experienced domestic violence.
According to Shirin Rashidova, the head of the non-governmental organization (NGO) "Nihol" Initiative Support and Development Center, with financial support from UNDP, over 300 legal consultations were provided to victims of violence within the framework of one project. UNDP's support allowed for the engagement of professional lawyers.
The organization assists victims by providing lawyers. Mukhabat Mirzaeva is the lawyer who helped Ruzigul. She prepared applications for the administrative case regarding compensation for material damage. Mukhabat also represented Ruzigul in court. It seemed impossible to win the case, as the former mother-in-law filed eight appeals, but in the end, it was the organization's lawyer who won the case, and Ruzigul received full compensation for the destroyed property.
“These are not the only cases where civil society representatives, such as NGO lawyers and bloggers, contribute to an adequate response to violence in an environment where it is largely considered an acceptable norm in Uzbekistan. International experience shows that the availability of free legal assistance for victims through collaboration with other legal providers, such as NGOs, and increased government funding for centers providing social assistance and housing leads to effective protection for victims of violence,” notes UNDP gender and civil society specialist Gulnosa Akhmedova.
The civil case regarding the right to ownership of the house contested by Ruzigul and her mother-in-law is still under consideration, as hearings on this case are constantly postponed at the defendant's initiative.