Government Talks Human Rights, Jails Activist
Government Talks Human Rights, Jails Activist
A government-sponsored conference highlighting Uzbekistan’s human rights achievements was held the same day that an activist from Andijan was sentenced to six years in prison. NBCentralAsia experts say the timing underlines just how grave the human rights situation in Uzbekistan continues to be.
On April 24, a conference on the role of the Uzbek National Centre for Human Rights and its work with government agencies to protect human rights was held in Tashkent.
Akmal Saidov, director of the National Centre, said that the Uzbek constitution recognises international human rights standards, and the country has acceded to numerous international conventions. As a result, he said, “our obligations to provide for and defend human rights and liberties are consistently honoured”.
“The state system [for protecting human rights] operates effectively in this country,” he said.
The conference was held the same day that Gulbahor Turaeva, a human rights activist from Andijan, was sentenced to six years imprisonment. Turaeva was arrested in mid-January, accused of possessing books belonging to the banned Erk party, and charged with anti-constitutional activity.
Human rights activists and observers say Turaeva’s imprisonment means it impossible to talk about progress on human rights.
Ibrahim Ismailov, an independent observer and journalist, says the authorities continue to pretend they are “innocent lambs”, while openly and ruthlessly destroying all notions that human rights should be protected.
“As far as I know, there was no mention at the conference… that although Uzbekistan has signed up to international legal standards, the day to day reality is that it ignores its citizens’ rights and does not give a damn about them,” he said.
Members of Ezgulik, a human rights group, said there were no grounds for Saidov to say the Uzbek state systematically cares for human rights and liberties.
Surat Ikramov, head of the Initiative Group of Independent Human Rights Activists, said the talk at the conference was so distant from reality that it made one “laugh – albeit through tears and pain”.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
On April 24, a conference on the role of the Uzbek National Centre for Human Rights and its work with government agencies to protect human rights was held in Tashkent.
Akmal Saidov, director of the National Centre, said that the Uzbek constitution recognises international human rights standards, and the country has acceded to numerous international conventions. As a result, he said, “our obligations to provide for and defend human rights and liberties are consistently honoured”.
“The state system [for protecting human rights] operates effectively in this country,” he said.
The conference was held the same day that Gulbahor Turaeva, a human rights activist from Andijan, was sentenced to six years imprisonment. Turaeva was arrested in mid-January, accused of possessing books belonging to the banned Erk party, and charged with anti-constitutional activity.
Human rights activists and observers say Turaeva’s imprisonment means it impossible to talk about progress on human rights.
Ibrahim Ismailov, an independent observer and journalist, says the authorities continue to pretend they are “innocent lambs”, while openly and ruthlessly destroying all notions that human rights should be protected.
“As far as I know, there was no mention at the conference… that although Uzbekistan has signed up to international legal standards, the day to day reality is that it ignores its citizens’ rights and does not give a damn about them,” he said.
Members of Ezgulik, a human rights group, said there were no grounds for Saidov to say the Uzbek state systematically cares for human rights and liberties.
Surat Ikramov, head of the Initiative Group of Independent Human Rights Activists, said the talk at the conference was so distant from reality that it made one “laugh – albeit through tears and pain”.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
