One Uzbek Journalist Sentenced To Jail, Another In Psychiatric Hospital

Jamshid Karimov (left) and Ulugbek Khaidarov (right) earlier this year (Courtesy Photo) PRAGUE, October 5, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- A court in Uzbekistan's central city of Jizzakh has given independent journalist Ulugbek Khaidarov a six-year prison sentence.

A Jizzakh human rights campaigner told RFE/RL's Uzbek Service the verdict was reached today.

"On October 5th, a verdict was reached in the trial of Ulugbek Khaidarov, who was charged under Article 165 of the Uzbek criminal code," he said. "Khaidarov was sentenced to six years in jail. The court proceedings were led by Shukhrat Khudoyarov of the Jizzakh city court."

Khaidarov's trial began on October 4.

Khaidarov was arrested on September 14 and charged with extortion, which rights groups say are trumped up. Khaidarov is a friend of Jamshid Karimov, another independent Jizzakh reporter who went missing on September 12.

An Uzbek independent website on October 4 said it had obtained confirmation of Jamshid's whereabouts.

Uznews.net quoted a "reliable source" as saying that a Jizzakh court ordered that Jamshid be sent to Samarkand's psychiatric hospital for at least six months.

All earlier Uznews.net reports on Jamshid Karimov's case have proved accurate. Jamshid is the son of Uzbek President Islam Karimov's elder brother Arslan, who died in a car crash 17 years ago.

Karimov has reportedly ceased all contacts with his brother's family since then.

(RFE/RL's Uzbek Service, Uznews.net)