(IFJ/IFEX) – The following is an IFJ media release: IFJ Demands the Release of Uzbek Journalist Sentenced for Belonging to Illegal Party The International Federation of Journalists condemns the verdict in a court in Uzbekistan today, sentencing journalist Gayrat Mehliboev to seven years in prison for being a member of a banned extremist Islamic party. […]
(IFJ/IFEX) – The following is an IFJ media release:
IFJ Demands the Release of Uzbek Journalist Sentenced for Belonging to Illegal Party
The International Federation of Journalists condemns the verdict in a court in Uzbekistan today, sentencing journalist Gayrat Mehliboev to seven years in prison for being a member of a banned extremist Islamic party.
Gayrat Mehliboev, a 23-year-old journalist who had recently graduated from Tashkent State University, was arrested in June 2002 at the Chorsu market in Tashkent, where the Khizb-ut Tahrir party was organizing a protest. Mehliboev was accused of being involved in an “attempt to overthrow the constitutional structure of Uzbekistan, spreading prohibited religious literature and the organization of mass gatherings”. Mehliboev admits to being a member of the party, but says that he did not participate in the protest at the market.
The International Federation of Journalists sees the case against Gayrat Mehliboev as an attempt to silence a critical voice and to send a message to Uzbek journalists that freedom of expression is not tolerated in the country. The verdict follows a pattern of imprisoning journalists in Uzbekistan on charges of religious extremism. Mehliboev drew the attention of the authorities after he wrote articles on religious issues for the newspapers Khuriyat and Mokhiyat. He was told to stop writing critical articles, and his texts were edited or censored before publication. One of his articles was presented as evidence in the case, making it evident that Gayrat Mehliboev was sentenced not only for his religious beliefs and political opinions but also because of his activities as a journalist.
The International Federation of Journalists, the world’s largest organisation of journalists, representing about 500,000 members, protests against the verdict against Gayrat Mehliboev and appeals for his immediate release.
“Mehliboev is being punished for his journalism and his beliefs. Such persecution is designed to prevent free expression and public debate. He should be immediately released and assurance given that journalists will be permitted to work in an atmosphere free of fear or intimidation,” says the IFJ.
The IFJ represents more than 500,000 journalists in more than 100 countries.
