Gulnora Karimova

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Gulnora Karimova

Gulnora Islomovna Karimova (in Russian: Гульнара Исламовна Каримова Gulnara Islamovna Karimova) (born July 8, 1972) is the daughter of President Islom Karimov of Uzbekistan. She serves as an Advisor to the Ambassador of Uzbekistan in Russia and is believed to have built an extensive business empire that includes the largest wireless telephone operator in Uzbekistan, night clubs, and a large cement factory. She has a warrant for her arrest in New Jersey^[1] after fleeing the United States with her children following a messy divorce and custody battle that resulted in her Afghan American^[2] ex-husband being awarded custody.

Karimova is extremely unpopular within Uzbekistan, and is believed to have amassed her large business empire through corrupt means. One of the more serious charges is that she employs her nightclubs within Tashkent as centers of prostitution and assists in the trafficking of Uzbek women to Dubai for the same purpose ^[3]. It is true that prostitutes are visible in her nightclubs and that in Tashkent all nightclubs but hers are heavily restricted (even in their hours of operation) and that she uses her influence to limit opportunities for rivals. For example, promised liberalization of the telecommunications sectors has been delayed while she owned part of it. In 2005 she sold her shares in Uzdunrobita to a Russian company for $212 million, a figure which places a much higher than realistic value on the company. At the same time, she negotiated on behalf of Uzbekistan to award most of Uzbekistan's natural gas exports to the Russian state-controlled company Gazprom. Karimova also received a large cash payment upon the completion of that particular deal (rumored to be 88 million USD), with the promise of further payments as gas exports continue.

Her most famous dealings do not concern a company of her own, rather that of her ex-husband. Coca Cola, for whom her ex-husband was a representative in Uzbekistan, suffered even further following their divorce, and the Uzbek operations of that company were effectively halted and Uzbekistan's strict financial regulations were strenuously enforced to ensure that the organization could not get export or import licenses and that most of their assets were prevented from leaving the country.

Her diplomatic position was awarded after she was arrested in the UAE. Like others who leave the US with their children in violation of custody decisions, she was on a list of wanted persons distributed by the United States, with which the UAE has a cooperation agreement. After a call from her father's office, she was released, and became a diplomat with diplomatic immunity shortly thereafter. The diplomat continues to run her prostitution ring from Tashkent, servicing Dubai's elite.

Lately Gulnora Karimova started to appear more in a governmentally censored Uzbek press which presents her as a "lucky businesswoman", caring mother and the person involved in charity. An intriguing fact is that according to Uzbek press Gulnora combines a lot of professions at her only early 30s : she is a diplomat, a scientist, a poet, a jewellery master, an entrepreneur and recently she was mentioned also as a singer (known as Gugush) whose songs are played on local radio stations. It is thought to be a beginning of campaign in her favour in order to introduce her to a large public as a worthy candidate for the substitution of her father. ^[4] In 2006, Gulnora Karimova released a music video entitled "Don't Forget Me" which was originally sung by Kumush Rozoqova. ^[5].

Uzbekistan's economy remains tightly controlled, with regime stalwarts, including the security services and Gulnora Karimova, exerting excessive influence, which drives away investors and exacerbates poverty. Gulnora Karimova has reportedly been particularly ruthless in her drive to increase her financial empire. Millions of rural citizens have turned to shuttle trading or sought jobs outside the country to get by, with the latter group sending large remittances, although government interference may be increasing in these areas as well. Even major Russian and Chinese investors interested in Uzbekistan’s energy industry face serious obstacles to doing business. Currently, Gulnora Karimova is the the largest shareholder of oxus gold.