UZBEKISTAN:Four leading international non-governmental organisations have dismissed as "farcical" plans by Uzbekistan to stage a seminar on media freedoms, given the country's harassment of journalists.
Human Rights Watch, the International Crisis Group, the Open Society Institute and Reporters Sans Frontières (Reporters Without Borders) said the "international seminar on freedom of media in a modern democratic society" in Tashkent would be a "propaganda show". "Those with critical voices, who would have highlighted the regime's appalling record on media freedom and other human rights abuses, have been locked out of the discussion," the groups said in a joint statement.
In April, EU foreign ministers agreed to keep sanctions on Uzbekistan suspended for another six months, citing some improvements in rights conditions, including Tashkent's willingness to hold a joint seminar on media freedoms.
The four NGOs were invited to such an event planned for May, but it did not take place. Uzbek authorities then told them they were not invited to the seminar set for today and tomorrow, ICG spokesman Andrew Stroehlein said. The groups said the event would be an "empty shadow" of the joint seminar envisaged by the EU.
"Tashkent's deceptive ploy to imply EU approval of what is now a farcical event has deeply undermined the chances of any serious meeting happening in future," the statement said.
A spokeswoman for the EU's executive European Commission said she had no immediate comment. Uzbek officials were also not immediately available for comment.
The NGO report listed names of 17 journalists and human rights advocates detained for exercising freedom of expression or for rights work.
"Harassment of journalists continues in Uzbekistan," it said. "Restrictive laws allow the authorities to persecute any journalist whose critical information is considered by the government as hostile to Uzbekistan."
The statement said many independent journalists who have not been imprisoned or otherwise silenced had had to go into exile. Rights groups have been upset by a gradual easing of EU sanctions imposed after troops killed hundreds of on unarmed protesters in 2005.
- (Reuters)