Uzbek Human Rights and Opposition Leaders Visit U.S.

On March 29, 2002, four prominent activists working on the issue of human rights in Uzbekistan wrapped up their visit to the United States:

Briefing at the Congressional Commission On Security and Cooperation in Europe. Presiding is Rep. Christopher Smith, Co-Chairman of the Commission.

Vitaly Ponomaryov, Director of the Central Asian Program of the Moscow-based Memorial Human Rights Center

Pulat Akhunov, director of Central Asian Association and Deputy Chairman of the opposition Birlik Party (Akhunov is currently in exile in Sweden)

Atanazar Arifov, General-Secretary of the opposition Erk Party

Abdusalom Ergashev, head of the Ferghana branch of the Independent Human Rights Organization of Uzbekistan and an independent expert on Muslim affairs

Their visit provided policy-makers in Washington with the opportunity to hear
first-hand accounts on the situation with human rights and freedoms in the formerSoviet state and the impact of the new strategic partnership established between the U.S. and Uzbekistan after September 11.

According to the visitors, the tragic events of September 11th have given the regime of Uzbek President Islam Karimov a new opportunity go crack down on political and religious opposition in the country. There are estimated to be approximately 7,000 political and religious prisoners in Uzbekistan. The visitors also viewed the recent developments that have received much resonance in the West, including the sentencing of four law-enforcement officers to long prison terms for the death in detention of a suspect and the registration of one human rights organization, as "token jestures" designed to appease the West, rather than any indication of a political will to improve Uzbekistan's human rights record. During their meetings with State Department officials and other policy makers, the activists made an appeal to increase the pressure on the Uzbek government to implement democratic reforms. One of the ways to do that would be to condition any financial aid the United States will give to Uzbekistan on the latter's visible improvements in human rights.

While in Washington, the activists met with Lorne Kraner, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights, and his staff, Richard Hoagland, director of State Department's Office of Caucasus and Central Asian Affairs, and Rep. Christopher Smith, Vice-Chairman of the House Committee on International Relations and Co-Chairman of the Congressional Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Meetings also took place with colleagues from the NGO community and various think tanks. In addition, briefings were held at the Helsinki Commission (CSCE), Radio Free Europe, Center for Strategic and International Studies, and the National Endowment for Democracy.

In New York, the visitors gave a presentation at the Open Society Institute.

Back