EU to Review Uzbek Sanctions

On October 13, the European Union will discuss whether to lift the sanctions it imposed against Uzbekistan following the Andijan violence of May 2005.



The sanctions were imposed in November 2005 after President Islam Karimov refused to allow an independent international inquiry into the violence, in which governmental troops fired into a peaceful demonstration in the eastern city of Andijan.



The sanctions included an embargo on arms sales to Uzbekistan and a visa ban on senior officials believed to have played a role in ordering the use of force. Last November, the sanctions were eased.



Commentators in Europe point to differences among European governments, some of which are planning to advocate further sanctions while others such as France and Germany are keen to end them.



This unclear situation has alarmed Uzbek human rights activists, who argue that ending sanctions would merely lead the authorities to assert itself in impunity for the crimes against humanity.



“The lifting of sanctions will in no way act as an incentive to our leaders,” commented Elena Urlaeva, head of the Human Rights Alliance of Uzbekistan.