Dilmurod Sayid, Uzbekistan
Imprisoned Since 2009
Free The Press: Supporting Journalists Under Duress
The U.S. Department of State highlights emblematic cases of threats to journalists’ freedom of expression, in advance of World Press Freedom Day on May 3.
Dilmurod Sayid is an independent Uzbek journalist who was sentenced to 12-and-a-half years in prison in July 2009 following a closed trial that was conducted in a manner seemingly contrary to Uzbekistan’s international obligations and commitments.
Sayid was a marked critic of corruption. He reported on the abuse of power by local authorities against farmers. He wrote for a number of independent and local pro-opposition websites, including Voice of Freedom, and was an active member of the “Ezgulik” human rights society, one of two registered human-rights organizations in Uzbekistan.
In February 2009, prosecutors in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent detained Sayid on charges of extortion and forgery which were widely believed to be fabricated. In July 2009, a Tailak District Court judge sentenced him in a closed proceeding. He is currently serving his sentence in the Navoi high-security prison in central Uzbekistan.
Mr. Sayid suffers from tuberculosis, a condition that predated his incarceration, but that requires special medication and treatment. Relatives report that Mr. Sayid, who is 5’9,” has undergone significant weight loss and currently weighs less than 130 pounds.
In November 2009, Mr. Sayid lost his wife and six-year-old daughter in a car accident while they were traveling to visit him.
We call on the Uzbek government to release Dilmurod Sayid, to ensure appropriate medical treatment for him immediately while he remains in custody, and to take the steps necessary to create political space for independent journalists to work in Uzbekistan without fear of violence or persecution.
http://www.humanrights.gov/
Мы призываем правительство Узбекистана освободить Дильмурод Саида, немедленно обеспечить соответствующее медицинское лечение для него пока он остается в колонии, а также принять необходимые меры чтобы создать политическое пространство для работы независимых журналистов в Узбекистане без опасения насилия или преследования.
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