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Uzbekistan
 Update Front Line is seriously concerned by new reports of the deterioration in the health of human rights defender Norboy Kholjigitov, former President of the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan (HRSU), Ishtikhan district. On 18 October 2005, the Samarkand Regional Criminal Court sentenced Norboy Kholjigitov to ten years' imprisonment and he is currently being detained at the 64/49 Prison in Karshi. 
 Front Line is deeply concerned following reports that the trial of Salijon Abdurahmanov commenced on 12 September 2008. Salijon Abdurahmanov was arrested on 7 June 2008, after drugs were planted in his car. He is a founding member and leading journalist with Uznews.net, a member of the Real Union of Journalists of Uzbekistan, and a member of the Committee to Protect Individuals' Rights in Karakalpakstan. He has also worked for Radio Liberty and the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, and has made public statements concerning human rights violations and restrictions on freedom of expression in Uzbekistan. His case was the subject of a Front Line urgent appeal on 20 June 2008.
Conditions Improve for Mutabar Tadjibaeva
Front Line is gravely concerned following reports of the deterioration in the health of Mutabar Tadjibaeva, human rights defender and Chairperson of the human rights organisation “Plammenoe Serdtse” (Fiery Hearts Club) in Ferghana city. Mutabar Tajibaeva was arrested on 7 October 2005 and subsequently sentenced to 8 years in prison on 6 March 2006. She is currently being detained at Tashkent Prison. Front Line has previously expressed grave concern at the continued detention of Mutabar Tadjibaeva and her deteriorating health, most recently on 28 March 2007.
Front Line is deeply concerned by reports of the assault and detention of human rights defenders Zohir Hasanzoda, Pardakul Turakulov and Kamiljon Ashurov. Zohir Hasanzoda is a journalist with the Ovozi Tojik (Tajik Voice) and the newspaper’s correspondent in the Samarkand region, Pardakul Turakulov is a freelance journalist with the same newspaper. Both journalists are also members of the Centre for Human Rights Initiatives, in Samarkand, of which Kamiljon Ashurov is the Director.
Front Line is concerned following reports that a number of human rights defenders from the Djizak region have been denied exit visas or have had exit visa applications delayed for a number of months.
Front Line is deeply concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of human rights defender Mutabar Tadjibaeva following reports that she is being denied access to adequate medical treatment. Mutabar Tadjibaeva is the Chairperson of the human rights organisation “Plammenoe Serdtse” (Fiery Hearts Club) in the city of Ferghana. On 2 June 2008, she was released from Tashkent Women's Prison, where she was serving an 8-year sentence following a trial in which she was accused of slandering government bodies, holding unauthorized rallies, setting up illegal organisations, fraud, extortion, embezzlement, tax evasion and distributing material that poses a threat to public security and order. She is now serving a 3-year suspended sentence.
Front Line welcomes the news of the release of human rights defender Vadim Olsevich from psychiatric hospital on 4 July 2008. We will continue to monitor his situation in relation to the human rights work that he is carrying out. No further action required at present.
Front Line is deeply concerned following the arrest and detention of human rights defender Salijon Abdurahmanov on 7 June 2008, after drugs were planted in his car. Salijon Abdurahmanov is a founding member and leading journalist with Uznews.net, a member of the Real Union of Journalists of Uzbekistan, and a member of the Committee to Protect Individuals' Rights in Karakalpakstan. He has also worked for Radio Liberty and the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, and has spoken out against human rights violations and restrictions on freedom of expression in Uzbekistan.
Front Line is extremely concerned by reports that the authorities have prevented the below-mentioned human rights defenders of the Human Rights Defenders Alliance of Uzbekistan from participating in a commemorative event on 13 May 2008 to mark the third anniversary of the Andijan massacre. Rasulzhon Tadjibaev, Shurat Ahmadzhonov, Yelena Urlaeva and Saidagzam Askarov were arrested. Lyudmila Mingazova, Karima Kamalova, Akramhodzha Muhitidinov, Shadmanbek Fazilov and Tatyana Dovlatova were reportedly forced to stay in their homes by law enforcement officials. Jana Ignatenko and Alisher Mamadzhanov were prevented from laying flowers at the "Monument of Courage" by the Intelligence Service. In addition, an attempt was made by officials of the Intelligence Service to detain Anatoli Volkov and Victoria Vazhenova at the "Monument of Courage."
Front Line is deeply concerned following the sentencing of human rights defender Yusuf Juma to five years' imprisonment on 15 April 2008. Yusuf Juma is a prominent writer and pro-democracy activist in Uzbekistan. He was arrested along with his sons, Bobur and Mashrab, in the Tashkent region in mid-December 2007 and he has been detained in the Otbozor Prison in the Bukhara region of Uzbekistan.
Front Line is deeply concerned following reports of the continued torture and ill-treatment of imprisoned human rights defender and writer Yusuf Juma and his sons Bobur and Mashrab Juma. Yusuf Juma is a prominent writer and pro-democracy activist in Uzbekistan. Yusuf, Bobur and Mashrab Juma were arrested in the Tashkent region in mid-December 2007 and are all detained in the Otbozor Prison in the Bukhara region of Uzbekistan. Yusuf and Bobur Juma's lawyer, Ruhiddin Kamilov, has been threatened by the prison governor.
Front Line is deeply concerned following acts of intimidation against human rights defender Saida Kurbanova. Saida Kurbanova is the head of the non-governmental organisation, the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan (HRSU), in the Pakhtakor district of the Jizak region. She is also a farmer and a campaigner for farmers' rights.
Mutabar Tadjibaeva founded the Fiery Hearts Club in Uzbekistan to work for women’s rights. She was arrested on her way to Dublin for the Front Line, Dublin Platform for Human Rights Defenders in 2005 and sentenced to 8 years in prison.
The chairman of the Andijan human rights group, Appeal, Saidjahon Zainabitono, is serving a seven-year prison sentence on 'slander' and 'terrorism' charges. His trial has been widely described as a sham, violating international standards.
Front Line is concerned by the extension of the period of detention of human rights defender and journalist Jamshid Karimov who is currently detained in the Samarkand psychiatric hospital.
Front Line is deeply concerned following the sentencing, on 3 December 2007, of human rights defender Karim Bozorboyev to six years and three months in prison in the central city of the region of Syrdarya in Uzbekistan. Karim Bozorboyev is a member of the Ezgulik human rights society and a vocal protester against violations of human rights in Uzbekistan. Ezgulik ("Goodness") is one of the very few registered human rights organisations in Uzbekistan.
Front Line is deeply concerned following reports of injuries sustained by human rights defender Ihtiyor Hamroev and the extension of his prison sentence by a further seven months. Ihtiyor Hamroev is a member of the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan (HRSU) and the son of Bahtiyor Hamroev, chairman of Djizak Regional Department of HRSU. Ihtiyor Hamroev is currently serving a custodial sentence in Prison 64/78 in the district of Djizak.
Front Line is gravely concerned following reports of the ongoing detention and further ill-treatment of Mutabar Tadjibaeva, human rights defender and Chairperson of the human rights organisation “Plammenoe Serdtse” (Fiery Hearts Club) in Ferghana city. Mutabar Tadjibaeva was arrested on 7 October 2005 and subsequently sentenced to 8 years in prison on 6 March 2006. She is currently being detained at Tashkent Prison. Front Line has previously expressed concern in relation to the continued detention of Mutabar Tadjibaeva, most recently on 27 July 2007.
Mutabar Tadjibaeva, a member of the human rights organization, Fiery Hearts is serving an 8-year sentence in the psychiatric section of a women's detention centre. She is been forced to take psychotropic drugs and her health is rapidly deteriorating.
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