Arrest Upsets German Rapprochement With Uzbeks
Arrest Upsets German Rapprochement With Uzbeks
The trial of a journalist working for Deutsche Welle radio in Uzbekistan could thwart efforts by Germany, which currently holds the European Union presidency, to strengthen ties with Central Asia, NBCentralAsia political scientists say.
On March 24, the Tashkent city prosecutor charged Natalya Bushueva, a Deutsche Welle stringer who is an Uzbekistan national, with operating without a license and tax evasion.
Bushueva is accused of failing to pay around 3,000 US dollars in taxes over a five-year period.
Similar charges were brought against Yury Chernogaev, who formerly worked for Deutsche Welle, on March 27.
Alexander Varkentin, deputy head of the Eastern Europea and Central Asia department at Deutsche Welle, said the accusations against Bushueva are groundless as she pays income tax to the German government, which has a deal with Uzbekistan to avoid double taxation.
NBCentralAsia political observers say that launching criminal charges against Deutsche Welle journalists could sour Uzbek-German relations.
Michael Laubsch, head of the Eurasian Transition Group, based in Germany, told NBCentralAsia, “If no positive outcome is achieved in this case, I do not think Germany will be able to continue its softly-softly dialogue with [President Islam] Karimov any longer.”
Arkadiy Dubnov, an international affairs commentator on the Russian newspaper Vremya Novostei, thinks the Uzbek authorities may have gone after Bushueva “to provide a reason for horse-trading with the West”.
The European Union imposed sanctions on Uzbekistan after May 2005 when government troops opened fire on a peaceful demonstration in Andijan in eastern Uzbekistan.
The authorities say most of the protesters were members of Islamic terrorist groups seeking to overthrow the system, but human rights groups and others say that they were calling for a fair trial for a group of local businessmen who had been arrested, and that hundreds of innocent people were killed.
Germany currently holds the EU presidency, and during an EU strategy meeting for Central Asia held in Astana on March 28, German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Europe would push to improve human rights in the region.
Uzbek foreign minister Vladimir Norov hit back, making it clear that Tashkent will not tolerate interference in its domestic affairs, especially when it comes to human rights.
“I think Berlin will find this tone offensive,” said Dubnov. “If [Germany
continues to curry favour with Tashkent in an attempt to get win support for the [EU’s] new Central Asia strategy, it will have a boomerang effect - not only on Germany’s image and long-term interests in the region, but also those of the European Union,” Dubnov said.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
On March 24, the Tashkent city prosecutor charged Natalya Bushueva, a Deutsche Welle stringer who is an Uzbekistan national, with operating without a license and tax evasion.
Bushueva is accused of failing to pay around 3,000 US dollars in taxes over a five-year period.
Similar charges were brought against Yury Chernogaev, who formerly worked for Deutsche Welle, on March 27.
Alexander Varkentin, deputy head of the Eastern Europea and Central Asia department at Deutsche Welle, said the accusations against Bushueva are groundless as she pays income tax to the German government, which has a deal with Uzbekistan to avoid double taxation.
NBCentralAsia political observers say that launching criminal charges against Deutsche Welle journalists could sour Uzbek-German relations.
Michael Laubsch, head of the Eurasian Transition Group, based in Germany, told NBCentralAsia, “If no positive outcome is achieved in this case, I do not think Germany will be able to continue its softly-softly dialogue with [President Islam] Karimov any longer.”
Arkadiy Dubnov, an international affairs commentator on the Russian newspaper Vremya Novostei, thinks the Uzbek authorities may have gone after Bushueva “to provide a reason for horse-trading with the West”.
The European Union imposed sanctions on Uzbekistan after May 2005 when government troops opened fire on a peaceful demonstration in Andijan in eastern Uzbekistan.
The authorities say most of the protesters were members of Islamic terrorist groups seeking to overthrow the system, but human rights groups and others say that they were calling for a fair trial for a group of local businessmen who had been arrested, and that hundreds of innocent people were killed.
Germany currently holds the EU presidency, and during an EU strategy meeting for Central Asia held in Astana on March 28, German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Europe would push to improve human rights in the region.
Uzbek foreign minister Vladimir Norov hit back, making it clear that Tashkent will not tolerate interference in its domestic affairs, especially when it comes to human rights.
“I think Berlin will find this tone offensive,” said Dubnov. “If [Germany
continues to curry favour with Tashkent in an attempt to get win support for the [EU’s] new Central Asia strategy, it will have a boomerang effect - not only on Germany’s image and long-term interests in the region, but also those of the European Union,” Dubnov said.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
