IHF Condemns Assault On Uzbek Rights Activist

August 23, 2006 09:20 GMT

One of the victims of the violence in Andijon is laid to rest (file photo) (epa) PRAGUE, August 23, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF) has called on Uzbekistan to investigate a recent incident in which a human rights activist was assaulted in the presence of police.

The Vienna-based IHF says about 20 women burst into the home of the activist, Bakhtiyor Hamroev, in the city of Jizzakh as he was meeting on August 18 with a delegation from the British Embassy.

The IHF says police officers witnessed the attack and belatedly dispersed the crowd.

The women reportedly shout they did not want a "second Andijon" to happen in Jizzakh, a reference to a government crackdown in the eastern city of Andijon in May 2005. Officially, 187 people died in the unrest, but rights groups say hundreds of unarmed civilians were killed.

Andijon Anniversary Conference

Violence in Andijon, Uzbekistan, on May 14, 2005 (epa)

TALKING ABOUT ANDIJON: On May 9, 2006, RFE/RL, the National Endowment for Democracy, and U.S.-based human rights organizations cohosted a conference on the May 2005 events in Andijon and their aftermath in Uzbekistan and throughout the region. The first panel featured Andijon eyewitness GALIMA BUKHARBAEVA, National Endowment for Democracy Fellow NOZIMA KAMALOVA, RFE/RL Central Asia analyst DANIEL KIMMAGE, and others. The second panel featured presentations by U.S. Senator JOHN MCCAIN and U.S. Congressman CHRISTOPHER SMITH, who used the forum to announce they had introduced legislation calling for sanctions and other measures against the government of President Islam Karimov.

LISTEN

Listen to the Andijon conference.
Part One (70 minutes):
Real Audio Windows Media
Part Two (60 minutes):
Real Audio Windows Media
The Uzbek government's response:
Real Audio Windows Media

THE COMPLETE STORY: A dedicated webpage bringing together all of RFE/RL's coverage of the events in Andijon, Uzbekistan, in May 2005 and their continuing repercussions.

CHRONOLOGY

For an annotated timeline of the Andijon events and their repercussions, click here.

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