Front Line is seriously concerned by new reports on the deteriorating health conditions of human rights defender Norboy Kholjigitov, former President of the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan (HRSU), Ishtikhan district. On 18 October 2005, the Samarkand Regional Criminal Court sentenced Norboy Kholjigitov to ten years' imprisonment. He is currently detained at the 64/49 Prison in Karshi.

According to the information received from HRSU, Norboy Kholjigitov's wife visited him in prison from 23 to 25 December 2008. She reported that Kholjigitov´s weight has fallen from 90 kg to 50 kg while in prison and that he has lost most of his teeth. He is 60 years old and his diabetes has worsened due to the lack of adequate medical treatment in the prison.

The conditions of detention in prison 64/49 are very harsh: there is no water, the cells are not heated, the prison is overcrowded and some cells contain up to 80 inmates. It is reported that following his complaint to the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan, Norboy Kholjigitov has been tortured. The prison's administration threatened him to send him to the psychiatric ward if he did not stop sending complaints.

Front Line believes that Norboy Kholjigitov’s continuous detention and his ill-treatment in prison is directly related to his work as human rights defender. Since last urgent appeal issued by Front Line, the health conditions of Norboy Kholjigitov have worsened.