Uzbek Opposition Member Released

The authorities in Uzbekistan have freed Norboy Kholjigitov, head of the Samarkand regional branch of the Ozod Dehkonlar or Free Farmers party, after he served six of the 10 years he was sentenced to. 

Kholjigitov, who also headed of the Samarkand branch of the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan, was convicted of defamation and extortion in November 2005, charges his colleagues say were fabricated by the authorities.

When he was charged, a protest by 800 people led the authorities to promise a fair trial, but the case was heard in camera and was swiftly over. Supporters continued calling for his release while he was in prison.

Kholjigitov’s lawyers say that while in detention, he suffered from a progressive form of diabetes which meant he lost all his teeth and caused great pain to his joints of the feet.

"Early parole for a gravely ill person is to be welcomed," Yelena Urlaeva, head of non-registered Human Rights Alliance of Tashkent, said. "However, it is apparent that the authorities release prisoners who are in very poor shape and will take a long time to recover.

Bahodir Namozov, head of the Association of Prisoners of Conscience, met Kholjigitov after he was released and said later that the human rights defender planned to carry on his work.

Many other political prisoners remain incarcerated in Uzbekistan. They include human rights defender and opposition party member Aghzam Farmonov, journalist Solijon Abdurahmonov, human rights defenders Aghzam Turghunov and Dilmurod Sayid, and sports reporter Khairullo Hamidov.

This article was produced as part of IWPR's News Briefing Central Asia output, funded by the National Endowment for Democracy.