Uzbekistan: Journalist and human rights defender Salijon Abdurahmanov detained

Your Excellency,

I am deeply concerned following the arrest and detention of human rights defender Salijon Abdurahmanov on 7 June 2008, after drugs were planted in his car. Salijon Abdurahmanov is a founding member and leading journalist with Uznews.net, a member of the Real Union of Journalists of Uzbekistan, and a member of the Committee to Protect Individuals' Rights in Karakalpakstan. He has also worked for Radio Liberty and the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, and has spoken out against human rights violations and restrictions on freedom of expression in Uzbekistan.

I understand that a medical examination for drug use gave Salijon Abdurahmanov negative result. This evidence supports the claim that drugs were planted in his car before he was arrested. On 7 June 2008, Salijon Abdurahmanov was detained and charged under Article 276, Clause 2A of the Uzbek Criminal Code for illegally producing, purchasing and storing drugs without the intention of selling them. Salijon Abdurahmanov was arrested when stopped in his car by a traffic police officer accompanied by a drug enforcement officer with two sniffer dogs. Although the dogs were allegedly calm, the officers said that they had smelled something suspicious and subsequently searched the car. They found 114.8g of marijuana and 5.89g of opium.

The arrest was used as a formal reason to search Salijon Abdurahmanov's home and confiscate his computer, books, documents and papers. Since the arrest it has been reported on uzmetronom.com that Salijon Abdurahmanov has admitted to using drugs. These reports have been dismissed as lies by his family who have also pointed out that the reports were incorrect about the dates of Salijon Abdurahmanov's birth and his arrest. Furthermore, his family have suggested that information given to uzmetronom.com about the failure of journalists surveyed in Tashkent to recognise Salijon Abdurahmanov, even after seeing photographs of him, is false and has been used to negate the importance of Salijon Abdurahmanov as a journalist, thereby negating the importance of his arrest.

Recently in Uzbekistan other human rights violations have been carried out to deter human rights defenders from exercising their right to freedom of expression. For example, on 15 April 2008, prominent writer and pro-democracy activist Yusuf Juma was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for protesting against his son's arrest. In this context, Salijon Abdurahmanov had already predicted that he would be detained for being outspoken in his defence of human rights. He had also been warned against writing in case it resulted in his detention.

I believe that Salijon Abdurahmanov has been targeted as a result of his legitimate work in the defence of human rights, in particular his work in the defence of freedom of expression in Uzbekistan. This appears to be part of an ongoing trend of harassment against human rights defenders in Uzbekistan. I am concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of Salijon Abdurahmanov.

I urge the authorities in Uzbekistan to:

1.Immediately and unconditionally release Salijon Abdurahmanov, as Front Line believes that he is being held solely as a result of his legitimate and peaceful work in the defence of human rights;

2.Carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the arrest and detention of Salijon Abdurahmanov;

3.Ensure that the treatment of Salijon Abdurahmanov, while in detention, adheres to all those conditions set out in the ‘Basic Principles for Treatment of Prisoners, adopted by General Assembly resolution 45/111 of 14 December 1990’;

4.Take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological security and integrity of Salijon Abdurahmanov;

5.Guarantee in all circumstances that human rights defenders in Uzbekistan are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals, and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment.

Yours sincerely