—
according to the spokesman of the
International
Committee of the Red Cross David-Pierre Marquet
The Association
for Human Rights in Central Asia (AHRCA) received a press releases from the
Uzbek human rights group, who recently visited political prisoners: Murad
Djuraev, Agzam Turgunov, Salijon Abdurakhmonov and Dilmurod Sayid. The press
release alleged that the conditions of detention of these prisoners have
improved after regular visits by various commissions, including the mission of
the International Committee of the Red Cross in Uzbekistan.
A representative
of the Press-Office of the ICRC, David Pierre Marquet told our
organisation, that the program of visits of detained persons in Uzbekistan was
discontinued in March 2013. And on 12 April 2013 a press release 13/64 was
issued in this regard. This decision was explained by the ICRC director-general
Yves Daccord: "In Uzbekistan we are unable to follow our standard
working procedures when we visit detainees to assess the conditions in which
they are being held and the treatment they are receiving. As a result, we
cannot address humanitarian issues and that renders any visits pointless."
The АНRCA knows from areliable sources that conditions in the penitentiary system of Uzbekistan doesnot yet comply with "Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners" and "Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners."
Uzbek authorities
can no longer ignore the increased attention of the U.S. senators and
international observers to the plight of imprisoned public figures. The visit
of human rights defenders to political prisoners cheered them and maybe even
gave them some hope of liberation. It is highly likely that the organisers
counting on this result. Because right now preparation for the trip of Islam
Karimov on February 21-23 to the Czech Republic is in full swing. And he knows
that this visit is receiving very negative reaction in most of the democratic
community, condemning his 25-year dictatorial rule.
