American Tourists Pay Ransom Money To Uzbekistan Police - "The Colonel Kaddafi of Khiva"

Uzbekistan and the city of Khiva is a hostile place for American tourists, Visa mistakes are subject to exorbitant fines, black market currency and contaminated food issues, police are fighting terrorists - they may treat you like one.
By: Robert Weaver
 
June 30, 2011 - PRLog -- In Khiva, Uzbekistan, on May 27, 201, the Police, after being voluntarily notified of the issue, summoned an American tourist couple to the local station, and detained and questioned them about a mistake that caused their Visa to expire three days earlier. The tourists had two options: (1) Pay a fine, be deported to New York; or (2) pay a fine, fly to the capital (Tashkent), pay for a new Visa, fly back to Khiva. They were scheduled to leave to another country the next day.

They paid an arbitrary 5 million soum fine, the equivalent of US$2932.93 using the official pegged exchange rate. At the black market rate it was US$2500. The currency is so inflated that it was filled in boxes that took the whole trunk space of a car. There was no opportunity to discuss mitigation. Everything was done through an interpreter.

Even after the fine was paid, the interrogations went on and on. Several times the tourists thought they were leaving for the airport only to be called back. New papers were required - Handwritten statements of confession, that they were entirely at fault, that they were not coerced.

Some of the police were cordial but their superior, Major Ilkham Abdullayeu, was out to make an example of these tourists and anyone who helped them. In an arbitrary and capricious way, he dealt with them as if he were "the Colonel Kaddafi of Khiva." One tourist said, "I felt treated like a terrorist, not a tourist."

Sick with dysentery, one of the Americans was taken by authorities behind the station to a primitive outhouse. While all this was going on, the tourists knew they had to catch the only flight of the day to get new Visas, and get back that night. At the last possible moment, they were escorted by the police through the town at 140KPH, made it to the airport late, and boarded a plane held for these last passengers. In Tashkent they paid for new Visas and caught the last plane back to Khiva.

The next morning, trying to get out of the country, they learned the hotel they stayed in was fined 1 million soum for giving them lodging without Visas. Even with medical issues, the tourists were supposed to "be left in the street." The tourists reimbursed the hotel's fine.

On hearing these events, a French couple staying in the same hotel commented, "The people here are always looking for ways to take as much money they can from "the rich Americans." That seems to be borne out because, back in America, the Uzbekistan Embassy confirmed that the "authorities" have discretion to fine between 1 to 5 million soum. They seemed to make no distinction between mistakes, tourists, or terrorists.

Advice to travelers to Uzbekistan based on this incident: (1) Khiva is a hostile place for tourists, especially American; (2) fines for mistakes in Visas are discretionary and can be exorbitant; (3) be aware of black market currency issues; (4) food may be contaminated; (5) the Police are fighting terrorists (see http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_5441.html), and if you are a tourist caught in their web you may be treated like a terrorist.

Interview Contact: Robert Weaver, LifeAdventureTravel.com
Telephone: 858-488-9300 USA
bob@LifeAdventureTravel.com
http:/www. LifeAdventureTravel.com

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Source:Robert Weaver
Email:***@lifeadventuretravel.com
Zip:92109
Tags:Uzbekistan, Khiva, Hostile, Tourist, American, Fine, Mistake, Visa, Terrorist, Exorbitant, Black Market Currency
Industry:Tourism
Location:California - United States
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