Subject: Uzbekistan: Samarkand Journalist Now in Jail 3 Years
From: Center for Civil Society International (ccsi@u.washington.edu)
Date: Sat Mar 18 2000 - 16:16:03 EST
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From: Felix Corley <fcorley@mail.ndirect.co.uk>
Reply-To: fsumedia@sovam.com
Uzbekistan: In Spite Of Public Outcry Journalist Remains Imprisoned
By Zamira Eshanova and Furkat Yakvalhodjayev
The case of Radio Liberty correspondent Andrei Babitsky has drawn
widespread attention within Russia from people concerned that press
freedoms there are being curtailed. Zamira Eshanova and Furkat
Yakvalhodjayev of RFE/RL's Uzbek service report that press repression
is happening in Uzbekistan, as well, but the public outcry has not
been strong.
Prague, 2 March 2000 (RFE/RL)--Uzbek journalist Shadi Mardiyev
remains in prison, three years after being arrested under dubious
circumstances and charged with defamation.
Mardiyev was a popular correspondent for Uzbek state radio in the
Samarkand region, specializing in legal issues. He was well known for
his satirical writing, particularly his reports on corruption within
law-enforcement bodies.
In 1997, he wrote an article for broadcast focusing on Samarkand
Deputy Prosecutor Talat Abdulkhalikzade. The article was entitled
"Swindlers in Prosecutors' Uniforms."
Abdulkhalikzade later sued for defamation. The court approved the
sentence even though the lawsuit lacked any compelling evidence.
Mardiyev was arrested and given an 11-year jail sentence.
At the time, the arrest and sentencing seemed to contradict stated
Uzbek policy on freedom of the press. Not long before, President
Islam Karimov had publicly called on local journalists to be more
courageous in their criticism of officials. Karimov said the Uzbek
press should become a fourth branch of power (alongside the
executive, judicial and legislative branches).
Our correspondent reports that international journalism and
human-rights groups have made strong and repeated efforts to
publicize Mardiyev's case. The Committee to Protect Journalists sent
a letter just last month to Karimov in which they appealed directly
for Mardiyev's release. The group based its appeal on grounds that
Mardiyev's health is deteriorating.
But Anne-Marie Stott of the World Association of Newspapers tells
RFE/RL that in spite of these international efforts, there has been
little public comment and no action on the part of officials.
"We haven't received any reply. We've also been trying to contact the
president's office, we've been requesting for some time now to meet
the president and to send a delegation of publishers over to meet
with President Karimov. But we've had no reply."
There may be some reason for optimism. Karimov--responding recently
to a question put to him by an RFE/RL correspondent--said he was not
personally familiar with Mardiyev's case but that he would look
"seriously" into the matter and take appropriate action. Still, given
Karimov's past record of high-minded words that are not backed by
deeds, it's not clear how sincere he was.
Mardiyev's lawyer, Hakim Bobonorov, says that officials, so far, have
not taken any action on Mardiyev: "Nothing is happening. Moreover,
[Mardiyev] has appealed to the Oliy Majlis, the parliament of
Uzbekistan, and is still waiting for a reply with hope. But his
health is deteriorating sharply."
International organizations say that they will not give up the fight.
Stott says her organization has sent letters to 18,000 publications
worldwide. She says she has seen positive results in other countries
with the release of journalists and has no intention of abandoning
Mardiyev.
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