Uzbekistan: Physical attack against human rights defender Mr Dmitry Tikhonov
Human rights defender Mr Dmitry Tikhonov was attacked on 23 February 2010. Dmitry Tikhonov is a member of the Human Rights Alliance of Uzbekistan and actively monitors the human rights situation in the town of Angren in the Tashkent region. The Human Rights Alliance works on several human rights issues including torture, access to justice, right to a fair trial, economic and social rights, and the rights of vulnerable groups.
Further Information
On 23 February 2010, at approximately 8pm, Dmitry Tikhonov was attacked by two unidentified men in the garage of his home in Angren. During the attack, the men reportedly asked him зачем ты все пишешь в Интернете (Why do you write on the internet?). Dmitry Tikhonov tried to escape, but one of the men hit him on the head with an iron rod and he lost consciousnesses.
The unconscious body of Dmitry Tikhonov was later discovered by one of his friends who brought him to the hospital in Angren for medical treatment. However, despite the fact that he was diagnosed with a serious concussion, Dmitry Tikhonov refused to be admitted to hospital, fearing that he might be attacked again. He is currently in hiding.
On 24 February 2010, Dmitry Tikhonov reported the attack to the police.
Front Line believes that Dmitry Tikhonov was attacked as a direct result of his work in defence of human rights. Front Line is extremely concerned for the security of Dmitry Tikhonov, and fears that this attack is an attempt to sanction his legitimate work in defence of human rights in Uzbekistan.
This Urgent Appeal has now ended. No further action is requested at this point. Thank you for taking action on this case.
Front Line issues Urgent Appeals on behalf of human rights defenders at risk on a daily basis. These Appeals normally remain active on our web site for a period of up to six weeks, depending on the situation. After this time they will be archived. Front Line maintains a watching brief on all these cases but no further action is requested after the six weeks, unless there is a significant development in the case.
