Islamic Human Rights Commission
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17 May 2005

Press Release: IHRC condemns Andijan Massacre as Natural Product of Western Support of Uzbek Dictatorship

IHRC condemns in the strongest terms the recent brutal massacre in Andijan of hundreds of unarmed peaceful protestors by Uzbek security forces.

IHRC notes that such a massacre is the only natural result of over a decade of active Western support for the brutal authoritarian tyrant, Islam Karimov, a dictator whose torture methods include boiling his opponents alive. The US State Department, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Human Rights Watch and others have repeatedly chastised Uzbekistan for its use of torture, described as “widespread and systemic” and “a routine investigative tool”. Evidence obtained from torture in Uzbekistan is regularly used by American and British security services.

IHRC calls upon the British government to officially state that it will no longer consider “evidence” obtained by torture.

IHRC also challenges the British government to employ practical methods, such as economic sanctions to penalise Karimov rather than meaningless verbal criticisms, which alone achieve nothing.

IHRC Chairperson, Massoud Shadjareh stated:

“While the Western powers celebrate the overthrowing of dictatorships in Ukraine and Georgia, their continuing moral, financial and verbal support for Islam Karimov has prolonged the suffering of millions of Uzbeks every day. The merciless torture, the random killings and the persecution of Muslims in Uzbekistan must be stopped and independently investigated immediately. ”

[Ends]

Notes for the Editor:

IHRC has been monitoring the deteriorating human rights situation in Uzbekistan for many years now. IHRC produced a briefing in 2003 entitled ‘Uzbekistan – Torture, the Language of Repression’. It can be found at the link below

https://www.ihrc.org.uk/show.php?id=500

For more information please contact, info@ihrc.org.

Islamic Human Rights Commission
PO Box 598
Wembley
HA9 7XH
United Kingdom

Telephone (+44) 20 8904 4222
Fax (+44) 20 8904 5183
Email: info@ihrc.org
Web: www.ihrc.org
info@ihrc.org