Noted Uzbek blogger Olimjon Haidarov, who was arrested over the weekend in the eastern city of Qoqon on extortion charges that he rejects as politically motivated, has launched a hunger strike to protest against his incarceration. Haidarov's brother, Salimjon, told RFE/RL that the blogger managed to inform him by phone that he had been "framed." Haidarov, one of the most popular bloggers in Uzbekistan, has raised the issue of the arrest of several bloggers on extortion charges in recent months. Last week, another blogger, Abduqodir Mominov, went on trial in Tashkent on charges that include extortion. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Uzbek Service, click here.
