1 May 2007

Alert

Human rights worker sentenced to seven years in prison for "speaking up about things the government tries to silence," says CJES


Incident details

Umida Niyazova

sentenced
(CJES/IFEX) - The following is a statement by CJES:

On 1 May 2007, the Sergeli District Court in Tashkent, under the presiding judge Nizam Rustamov, sentenced CJES's colleague Umida Niyazova to seven years in prison.

During two days of so called "justice", Uzbekistan managed to demonstrate neglect of its own Constitution. Criminally enough and - to ensure journalists and observers would not be present - without prior notice, the government of Uzbekistan has once again made it clear it that its fierce crackdown on people for their opinions and professional activities will continue.

Umida Niyazova was not arrested and sentenced because she committed any crimes against humanity or crimes undermining the state; she was sentenced simply because she had the courage to speak up about things that the Uzbekistan government tries to silence: the state's crimes during the Andijan tragedy and the huge number of human rights violations in the country.

Uzbekistan has a choice: to free Umida Niyazova and stop prosecuting people with opinions that differ from those of the state, or to remain a totalitarian country under pressure from the international community and from individuals who will not stop in their struggle for the release of Umida Niyazova as well as other political prisoners in Uzbekistan.

Umida Niyazova was found guilty of illegal border crossing, carrying contraband, and fostering unrest by distributing material causing public disorder (articles 223, 246 and 244 of the Uzbek criminal code).



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 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 CJES correspondent sentenced to three months in prison for "illegal transportation of information material" 12 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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