Bobomorud Abdullaev has worked for highly respected news outlets such as Ferghana News and IWRP. In September 2017, he was detained and later charged for “conspiracy to overthrow the government”. He has been tortured and ill-treated, and put under massive psychological pressure not to speak about his ordeal to his family.
Torture and threats
– He was kept naked in a freezing cold jail cell and was given nothing to eat for five days, according to our reports. When he finally collapsed from exhaustion, SNB officers threatened to destroy his family while he was tied to a bed for hours at a time and pressured to fire his own lawyer”, says Ivar Dale, Senior Adviser at the Norwegian Helsinki Committee.
– Bobomorud Abdullaev was tortured
Ivar Dale, Senior Adviser at the Norwegian Helsinki Committee.
The NHC, Human Rights Watch and ten other human rights groups call for the immediate release of Bobomurod (left in the picture) as well as the bloggers Akrom Malikov and Hayot Nasreddinov (right).
The head of the Uzbek security services (SNB), Rustam Inoyatov, was recently removed from his post in a move that many have interpreted as a wish by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to reform one of the world’s most oppressive regimes and bring Uzbekistan in line with its international human rights obligations. Yet, old SNB-methods are still being used against talented journalists such as Bobmurod Abdullaev.
– Release Abdullaev
– This is a question of rule of law and transparency under the new government. We welcome recent reforms, but they must be consistent. We ask Uzbek authorities to do the right thing. Release Abdullaev and let him return to his family, says Bjørn Engesland, Secretary General at the NHC.
The Ferghana News-affiliated journalist may face 20 years in prison if convicted.
(Photo of Bobomurod Abdullaev, Akrom Malikov and Hayot Nasreddinov: Ferghana News)