'Defamatory' Images Of Uzbekistan

In mid-December, noted Uzbek photographer Umida Ahmedova was charged with defamation and insulting the country's image. - The charges stem from photographs and videos that Ahmedova shot in remote parts of the country for an assignment sponsored by the Swiss Embassy in Tashkent. The project focused on poverty and gender inequality in Uzbekistan -- taboo subjects, apparently, for the Uzbek authorities. Ahmedova faces a fine and up to two years in a labor camp or six months in prison. She is not being allowed to leave the country until her case is resolved. Ahmedova has donated hundreds of her photos from Uzbekistan to RFE/RL's Uzbek Service for use on its website. Here is a selection of those photographs, many of which are among those considered to be injurious to the country's reputation.

Uzbek photographer Umida Ahmedova