Uzbekistan's Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva reveals rift in first family.pg2

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Ms Karimova-Tillyaeva talks in detail about her "You are not alone" foundation in support of orphaned and disabled children in Uzbekistan, work which she describes as "her calling".
But even on this topic she appears to criticise her publicity-savvy sister who regularly tweets about her own charity work.
"I have noticed that the more you talk about what you're doing, the less pleasure you get from your business," she says.
It seems that Ms Karimova-Tillyaeva is not just distancing herself from her sister, but from the image of her country which is regularly portrayed as one of the worst dictatorships by human rights organisations.
In 2011 she took legal action in France against the news website Rue 89 over an article which described her as a "dictator's daughter".
The article also claimed she tried to whitewash her country's image by paying big sums to celebrities like the Italian actress Monica Bellucci to appear at charity events.
The case was thrown out.
At the time most media interpreted her action as a defence of her father's record. But in her comments to the BBC, Ms Karimova-Tillyaeva appears lukewarm in support of her family.
"I did not question the rightness or wrongness of using this word, because I understand that this is a political term," she says.
"However, in that context, the definition of 'dictator's daughter' in the press uniquely affected my personality. Each person is born with the inalienable right to be judged on his personal qualities, business, attitudes and actions."
Uzbek soldiers are seen here on patrol in Andijan, where they were accused of killing hundreds of protesters in 2005
She also appears to hold some critical views of her father's government's policies.
Uzbekistan has been criticised for years over the use of child labour during the annual cotton harvest.
"I find it difficult to assess the situation, but if there are such facts, it is sad and should not take place in any country of the world," she says.
"I categorically reject any use of force, whether it is forced labour or other forms of violence against any person, especially children."
Ms Karimova-Tillyaeva is also forthright when asked about accusations that her father suppresses any dissent under the pretext of fighting Islamic extremism
"The problem of radicalisation is more a result of unemployment and a lack of opportunities," she says. "These two factors are the most important sources of discontent among the population and in turn inextricably linked to the problem of extremism."
More remarkably still, she says she believes that using force to deal with these problems is wrong.
Her words are in stark contrast to her father's beliefs.
President Karimov made headlines in June when he launched an unprecedented attack on the county's migrant work force, calling Uzbeks seeking jobs abroad "lazy people" who were a disgrace to the nation.
"One feels disgusted with the fact that Uzbeks have to travel there for a piece of bread. Nobody is starving to death in Uzbekistan," Mr Karimov said.
Home comforts
But despite Ms Karimova-Tillyaeva's apparent attempt to distance herself from her family, there has been much media interest in her own significant wealth.
In 2010 she and her husband Timur bought a mansion in the exclusive Vandoeuvres area of Geneva, reportedly for $46m (£29m).
The Karimova-Tillyaeva family at home in Geneva
The couple were also named in a list of Switzerland's richest people by the business magazine Bilan.
Ms Karimova-Tillyaeva is evidently aware of the sensitivity of such reports, given the economic difficulties suffered by most Uzbeks at home.
"We ourselves were surprised when we saw we were ranked among the richest people in Switzerland. I still joke about it with my husband," she says, adding that the figures suggested by the press were "far from reality".
Asked to explain their wealth, Ms Karimova-Tillyaeva says that her husband has a share in a trade and transport company.
In a carefully worded statement, she says that Mr Tillyaev has never been involved in public tenders, been associated with national resource industries like gas or cotton, and does not enjoy tax exemptions or monopoly status.
She also says that they have not benefitted from her family connections.
Reports say that Timur Tillyaev runs the Abusaxiy transport and import company, a profitable market leader in Uzbekistan.
As for their luxury home, Ms Karimova-Tillyaeva says that the couple took out a mortgage and only paid 18% of the price outright, a sum of around $8m if the reported purchase price of $46m is correct,
"Our family home in Geneva is our primary residence," she says. "We sold all real estate in Uzbekistan, leaving only an apartment in Tashkent where we stay with the children when we go to Uzbekistan."
Those trips back home are rare, only two or three times a year.