Overview of Human Rights in Uzbekistan

High levels of unemployment and poverty, corruption and an unstable economic situation negatively impact Uzbekistan's already dismal human rights record.

These factors contributed to the Andijan events in May 2005. Between February and May 2005, peaceful protests supporting men on trial for Islamic extremism occurred. On the night of May 12, 2005, citizens stole weapons from the police garrison and stormed the city prison where the defendants were being held. Several hundred prisoners also escaped during this time. On the evening of May 13, 2005, in retribution for the actions of the night before, government forces began firing into the demonstrators who were protesting injustice and economic hardship. It is estimated that between 150 to 700 people were killed, many of these while fleeing the scene.

The government has characterized this incident as an Islamic extremist attempt to overthrow the government. Consequently, the Uzbek government also detained between several hundred and several thousands of individuals for the purpose of coercing testimony about the events in Andijan.  The trial of the 15 defendants charged with crimes relating to the events was nowhere near acceptable by international standards. In the end, all 15 were convicted and sentenced to prison terms no longer than 20 years and no shorter than 14 years. 

It should be noted that during the government's case, however, was marred by a contradictory account by an Uzbek woman who said that government troops had opened fired on unarmed civilians, even as they waved white flags denoting "surrender." Makhbuba Zakirova's testimony so intensely undermined the argument made by the government that the prosecutor interrupted her to inquire if she was certain of what she was saying.  Asking if the prosecutor intended to arrest her, Zakirova confirmed that she was simply speaking the truth. 

The issue of political dissent continued in early 2006. Sanjar Umarov, the leader of the opposition group Sunshine Uzbekistan and a business entrepreneur, was scheduled to go on trial on Jan. 30, 2006.  The Uzbek opposition leader was arrested in 2005 for alleged embezzlement, money laundering and other economic crimes presumably to do with his business enterprises.  His supporters claimed that the charges were politically motivated. After seeing him in jail, his lawyer said that Umarov was naked and incoherent, possibly a side-effect of mind-altering drugs.  Umarov gained notoriety in 2005 when his opposition group dared to challenge the policies of President Karimov.  In March 2006, Umarov was sentenced to 10 years in jail.  His situation laid bare the deteriorating political scene in Uzbekistan, in which the ruling regime had grown more autocratic, and in which dissent and opposing voices were summarily silenced.

Also in March 2006, the climate of human rights in Uzbekistan turned inhospitable when the government ordered the refugee agency of the United Nations to close down its operations and exit the country within a month.  The Uzbek government said that the agency, which had operated in the country since 1993, had fulfilled its role.

Since the massacre in Andijan, human rights defenders, independent journalists, and critics of the government have faced increased levels of surveillance, house arrest, arbitrary arrest and detention, and interference in their work. Some have been forced to flee the country for fear of persecution. The government also tightened restrictions on local non-governmental organizations (NGOs). It took steps which led to the closure of hundreds of NGOs cities around the country.

In 2007, an activist, reportedly employed with the group, Human Rights Watch, was sentenced to seven years in jail for the dissemination of publications deemed to be both inflammatory and threatening to public order.  Umida Niazova -- the 15th human rights activist to be jailed in Uzbekistan -- was also found guilty of smuggling and crossing the border illegally.  Human Rights Watch accused the government of pursuing the charges for political reasons, and suggested that Niazova's treatment was motivated by the work done by human rights agencies at the time of the Andijan massacre.   In the same period, Gulbahor Turayeva, a human rights activist from Andijan, was sentenced to six years in jail for slander, anti-constitutional activities, and distributing materials also deemed to be threatening to public order.  

To date, the government of Uzbekistan and its agents commit numerous other human rights abuses, such as restricting the freedoms of speech, religion, movement, assembly, association, and press. The judiciary is not independent of the executive. Citizens’ privacy rights and workers rights are often infringed upon at the behest of the government.

While the government did make positive steps in reducing the amount of human trafficking incidences recently, there are still many more reforms necessary before Uzbekistan will ever come close to having a fair human rights record.

Human Development Index (HDI) Rank:

113th out of 177

Note: Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite index that measures the level of well-being of nations in the world. It uses factors such as poverty, literacy, life-expectancy, education, gross domestic product, and purchasing power parity to assess the average achievements in each nation. It has been used in the United Nation’s Human Development Report since 1993.