Abdujalil Boymatov, Kamiljon Ashurov…

Uznews.net – Uzbek activists Abdujalil Boymatov, Kamiljon Ashurov and Bibisara Aripova are attending the fifth meeting of human rights activists held in Dublin between 10 and 12 February.

The meeting gathered 100 people from all over the world, and among its guests are UN High Commissionaire for Human Rights Navi Pillay and UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Margaret Sekaggya.

Abdujalil Boymatov, head of the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan, told the gathering that 11 members of his group were in jail for their human rights activities and that they were facing torture and violence. He said that many of them were ill and of old age.

He urged the UN to pressure the USA and the EU to persuade Uzbekistan to stop prosecuting human rights activists, journalists and political activists.

Samarkand-based activist Kamiljon Ashurov spoke about his experience and said that international support would have secured the lives and freedom of Uzbek human rights activists, so it was necessary to draft a new strategy and approach to the situation in Uzbekistan.

The third participant from Uzbekistan – Bibisara Aripova, a sister of poet Abdulla Aripov – refused to speak to Uznews.net, but it turned out that she used her speech to praise the Uzbek government’s achievements in fighting human trafficking.