In April, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee together with several international human rights groups called on authorities in Uzbekistan to cease reprisals against the independent blogger Miraziz Bazarov.
In early March, Bazarov expressed his support to a public statement issued by 43 non-governmental organizations calling on Tashkent to decriminalize consensual sexual relations between men. After speaking out on the subject, Bazarov has been under increasing pressure – the blogger has been attacked by unknown assailants, he has received death threats, and he is currently involved in three criminal cases. Today, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and several other rights groups are publishing an interview with Bazarov’s lawyer, Sergey Mayorov. In the interview, conducted by the human rights community, Mayorov provides a detailed and updated account of Bazarov’s case, including the charges raised against him.
Read the interview here.