12 February 2007

Alert

CJES correspondent sentenced to three months in prison for "illegal transportation of information material"


Incident details

Umida Niyazova

journalist(s)

(CJES/IFEX) - A CJES correspondent has been sentenced to three months in prison on spurious criminal charges.

On 22 January 2007, Uzbek journalist and human rights defender Umida Niyazova was arrested and taken to the pre-trial detention unit in the Uzbek city of Andijan. She was detained for four days. On 26 January, she was handed over to the Office for Prosecution of Transport Offenses in Tashkent.

A month earlier, on 21 December 2006, Niyazova's computer and passport were confiscated upon her arrival from Kyrgyzstan to the Tashkent airport in Uzbekistan. The customs officials said her computer contained illegal material. She was forced to flee Uzbekistan.

Niyazova turned to the UN in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) for protection. The Kyrgyz immigration services registered her as a person in need of protection.

Niyazova's lawyer, Abror Iusupov, insisted on her return to Uzbekistan. However, she was arrested upon arrival. The Office for Prosecution of Transport Offences in Uzbekistan initiated a criminal case against Niyazova for violation of articles 233 ("illegal border-crossing") and 246 ("illegal transportation of information material") of the criminal code. She was sentenced to three months' imprisonment.

Niyasova has worked for CJES since 2000, and with the Central Asian internet magazine "Oasis" since 2005. She has also worked for Internews Uzbekistan and Freedom House, and as a translator for Human Rights Watch.

CJES had an agreement with Niyazova not to reveal that she worked with the organisation, but the threats to her freedom and health now force it to break the silence.

CJES demands Niyazova's immediate release and urges its colleagues in international organizations to raise their voices in her defence.



Source:

Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations
4 Zubovsky Bulvar
Moscow 119992
Russia
center (@) cjes.ru
Phone: +7 495 645 61 23 / +7 495 645 61 24
Fax: +7 495 637 76 26
 

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More on this case

Journalist Umida Niyazova released following appeals court decision 8 May 2007 Human rights worker sentenced to seven years in prison for "speaking up about things the government tries to silence," says CJES 1 May 2007 Trial of human rights defender resumes without notice; judge prompts and cuts short witnesses 30 April 2007 One rights defender sentenced to six years in prison, another's trial indefinitely postponed; crackdown exposes failure of EU policy, says Human Rights Watch 27 April 2007 Government "trying to silence us", says Human Rights Watch; trial date of journalist Niazova set 17 April 2007 Imprisoned journalist Umida Niyazova subject to inhumane treatment, faces possible 15-year sentence 16 April 2007 Third charge levelled against imprisoned journalist; confiscated documents included interviews with witnesses of 2005 Andijan massacre 15 February 2007 Human Rights Watch translator, active in local human rights organisation, jailed on charges of bringing "extremist" literature across the border 30 January 2007

Uzbekistan

Editor sentenced to additional five-year jail term while still in prison 26 January 2012 Journalist released after five years' detention in psychiatric hospital 30 November 2011 UN Human Rights Committee decision advances free expression 11 October 2011 Human rights activist attacked over critical online publications 22 September 2011 Regime steps up online control and media crackdown 29 August 2011 See all alerts: Uzbekistan


 
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