Salizhon Abdurakhmanov
Salizhon Abdurakhmanov is a journalist with Uznews.net, member of the Real Union of Journalists of Uzbekistan, and member of the Committee to Protect Individuals' Rights in Karakalpakstan. The human rights defender advocated for the rights of farmers and entrepreneurs, children’s rights and education, and raised questions regarding the ecology of the Aral Sea basin.
Human rights defenders in Uzbekistan continue to be systematically persecuted. Torture, ill-treatment, arbitrary detention, fabricated prosecutions, imprisonment and excessive force are used by law enforcement officials to prevent human rights defenders from carrying out their legitimate and peaceful work in defence of human rights. The severity of the repression has contributed to a number of human rights defenders being forced to go into exile. Human rights defenders and independant journalists continue to face physical attacks, which remain unpunished. Serious obstacles to freedom of peaceful assembly persist.
