Forum 18: UZBEKISTAN: The regime wants to shut people up
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Forum 18: UZBEKISTAN: 7 prisoners of conscience jailed for between 11 and 4 years
forum18.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from forum18.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
22 January 2021
Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18
After repeatedly defending Muslims freedom of religion and belief, including demonstrating outside President Shavkat Mirziyoyev s residence, Tulkun Astanov has been jailed for five years. A state report accused him of following sources of biased news such as Radio Free Europe , and publishing unsubstantiated and exaggerated information. Prisoner of conscience Astanov is being banned in jail from reading the Koran and praying the namaz.
After repeatedly defending the freedom of religion and belief of Muslims, including demonstrating outside President Shavkat Mirziyoyev s residence in the capital Tashkent, a city court has jailed 49-year-old Tulkun Astanov for five years. Tashkent City Criminal Court rejected his appeal on 5 January.
23 December 2020
Felix Corley, Forum 18
The Samarkand police Struggle with Extremism and Terrorism Department has opened a case against Shia Muslim Rashid Ibrahimov, twice questioning him without a written summons. Officers sent material from his phone, including texts of sermons, to the Religious Affairs Committee for expert analysis . Depending on that, they may bring administrative or criminal charges against him, a source told Forum 18. Officials are hostile to Shia Islam. Human rights defender Doctor Alimardon Sultonov is challenging his 14-month restricted freedom sentence.
On 18 December, police from the Struggle with Extremism and Terrorism Department in the central city of Samarkand opened a case against Shia Muslim Rashid Ibrahimov, the regional police Struggle with Extremism and Terrorism Department head Ulugbek Gainazarov confirmed to Forum 18. He refused to discuss details of the case. The case was opened the same day that Traffic Police stopped Ibrahimov as