TheState Security Service (UzbekDavlat Xavfsizlik Xizmati,DXX; inRussianСлужба государственной безопасности,СГБ, often romanised asSGB) is the national civilian intelligence and security agency of theRepublic of Uzbekistan. It was formerly known as the National Security Service.
The primary responsibilities are within the country and include analysis and development of intelligence collection and counterintelligence systems to create national security, border security, civilian intelligence cybersecurity, clandestine and covert operations, counterintelligence, counter-revolutionary, counterterrorism, creation a civilian security network intelligence, executive protection (especially the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan), intelligence gathering and assessment, internal security, investigation and interrogation some other types of serious crimes, maintain confidentiality of civilian intelligence information and documents, national's central intelligence affair for coordinating intelligence activities, psychological and information warfare, political warfare, support irregular warfare, surveillance and suppression of political activists, and threat assessment to national security.
The SSS was created on 26 September 1991 as a successor to theCommittee for State Security (KGB) and its republican affiliate in theUzbek Soviet Socialist Republic (Uzbek SSR).[3] Since thecollapse of the Soviet Union, it has retained the same responsibilities and a similar range of functional units, including paramilitary polices and spetsnazs. The SNB was a rival of theMinistry of Internal Affairs (IIV) until 2005, when it was brought under its control. It was renamed from the National Security Service on 14 March 2018.[4]
Rustam Inoyatov was the head of the SNB for over 20 years beginning in 1995.[6] The deputy director of the SNB was in 2005 appointed Minister of the Interior.[7] A reorganisation of the security and counterterrorism agencies in the aftermath of the Andijan massacre significantly increased the power and resources of the SNB.[7][8] In February 2019, the SNB headIkhtiyor Abdullayev was fired after he was accused to have conducted surveillance on PresidentShavkat Mirziyoyev's personal phone.[9]
Some analysts maintain that the SNB is under the control of theTashkent clan, a powerful faction within the Uzbek elite.[7][8]
The following people served as chairmen of the Uzbek KGB:[10]
Alexei Byzov (20 April 1954 – 11 February 1960)
Georgy Naymushin (26 February 1960 – 14 December 1963)
Sergey Kiselev (14 December 1963 – 25 October 1969)
Alexey Beschastnovr (25 October 1969 – 25 October 1974)
Eduard Nordman (25 October 1974 – 2 March 1978)
Levon Melkumov (2 March 1978 – 24 August 1983)
Vladimir Golovin (24 August 1983 – 27 January 1989)
Anatoly Morgasov (23 February 1989 – 12 June 1991)
The SNB has been closely associated with the authoritarian administration of President Islam Karimov, and has been accused of involvement in human rights abuses and in sponsoring acts of terrorism to provide a pretext for repressive policing.Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has reported claims that the1999 Tashkent bombings were carried out by the SNB, then led by Rustam Inoyatov of the Tashkent clan, and that the SNB may also have been responsible for a series ofbombings in 2004 in Tashkent andBukhara.[11]
Fear of the SNB is so widespread in Uzbekistan that it is considered dangerous to say its name in public.[12] However, this situation is gradually changing at least on the surface.
On 13 May 2005 SNB troops, along with military and Interior Ministry forces, killed a large number of protesters inAndijan, in an event that became known as theAndijan massacre.[14][15] Estimates of those killed range widely, from the official figure of 187 to upwards of 1,000.[14][16][17][18] The protests related to the arrest of a group of local businessmen, and the massacre was preceded by disorder including, according toPravda, an attempt to seize the regional headquarters of the SNB.[19]
"monitors the Uzbek sector of the Internet and 'stimulates'ISPs andInternet cafés to practiceself-censorship.Soviet-style censorship structures were replaced by 'monitoring sections' that work under SNB’s guidance. There is no mandatory government prepublication review, but ISPs risk having their licenses revoked if they post 'inappropriate' information. Occasionally, the SNB orders ISPs to block access to opposition or religious Web sites. A survey of internet filtering practices among Uzbek ISPs was conducted by ONI in January 2007. Respondents confirmed that they use filtering applications includingSquidGuard and FortiGuard. The SNB's censorship is selective and often targets articles ongovernment corruption,violations of human rights, and organized crime. Usually, it affects URL-specific pages instead oftop-level domain names. Uzbek ISPs block entire Web sites or individual pages upon SNB's unofficial requests. Accessing a blocked page redirects the user to a search engine or to an error message such as 'You are not authorized to view this page.' The retransmission of blocked channels is also prohibited.[20]
The SNB is known to have spetsnaz "Alpha", "Cobra", "Ts"[21] and "Scorpion" under its direct command.[22] TheBorder Service[23] andCustoms Service[22] of Uzbekistan answer to the SNB since being placed under its control in 2005. With corruption in the Country being the highest, the organization fully separated itself from the Nation but stays under mafia control. Its duties were recently laid out in a decree by President Mirziyoyev in January 2018.[24]
Uzbekistan
