An Uzbek court has granted an early release to blogger Otabek Sattoriy, who was sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison in May 2021 on charges of extortion and slander. The court ruled on February 5 that the remainder of Sattoriy's term will be replaced by an obligation to pay 20 percent of his earnings to the State Treasury. Last month, Sattoriy was transferred from a penal colony to a colony settlement -- a dormitory-like penitentiary located near an industrial facility where convicts work alongside regular employees. Human rights organizations have called the case against Sattoriy politically motivated. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Uzbek Service, click here.
