(Brussels, 23 October) The killing of hundreds of people
in Andizhan should not be forgotten, says Amnesty International as EU Foreign
Ministers prepare to lift the current arms embargo on Uzbekistan.
In a letter (available at www.amnesty-eu.org) Amnesty
International reminded EU Foreign Ministers that this embargo was established in
direct response to the killings of hundreds of civilians in Andizhan in May
2005. It also reminded Ministers that the EU’s call for an independent and
international investigation has not been acted upon.
“If the arms
embargo is lifted without an investigation the EU will be making a mockery of
its own demands and the only form of international pressure over Uzbekistan
will be gone. Foreign Ministers should leave national interests aside and
consider the implications of this decision to the consistency and the coherence
of the EU’s foreign and human rights policy” said Natalia
Alonso, Acting Director of Amnesty International’s EU Office.
Pressure over Uzbekistan on this issue is crucial not
only because it is a matter of justice but because there are dozens of human
rights defenders and journalists who are still being persecuted today, in direct
relation to the events of Andizhan. Amnesty International is following the
cases of several individuals who have been harassed, tortured and detained by
the authorities and who need international support. (See briefing available at
www.amnesty-eu.org)
“The Andizhan
question is not something of the past, it is directly linked to much of what is
happening in Uzbekistan today. If the EU overlooks this, it will not only be failing
the victims and their families but also those who are still fighting for
justice and human rights in Uzbekistan” added Alonso.
The EU’s demand for an investigation was already
undermined when the EU lifted all sanctions apart from the arms embargo in
October 2008. Furthermore, the human rights benchmarks set up by the EU in 2007
to evaluate progress in Uzbekistan have not indicated positive changes.
Indeed, in the past year alone four Human Rights
Defenders have been convicted and ten continue to serve long prison sentences. Uzbekistan
also continues to deny full access to international monitors including the International
Red Cross and the United Nations.
Amnesty
International therefore calls on the EU to consider all the implications of Monday’s
review of the arms embargo on Uzbekistan, namely its effects on the EU’s
credibility towards Central Asian partners.
Background
On 13 May 2005, Uzbekistani security forces
fired indiscriminately on demonstrators who had gathered in the city of
Andizhan in eastern Uzbekistan to voice their grievances about repressive
government policies and widespread poverty. Hundreds suspected of involvement
in the events were detained, and many were allegedly ill-treated or tortured.
Hundreds fled to neighbouring Kyrgyzstan in search of refuge. Dozens were tried
and sentenced in proceedings that failed to meet international standards of
fairness.
The authorities have continued to reject calls
for an independent international investigation into the Andizhan events and
have insisted that two rounds of expert talks under the auspices of the
European Union which took place in December 2006 and April 2007 constituted an
international investigation. Although Amnesty International welcomed the expert
talks it shares the view that such an initiative cannot substitute an
independent international investigation into the Andizhan events.
For further
comment/background and interviews:
Amnesty International EU Office
(Brussels):
Tel: 32-2-5021499
Fax: 32-2-5025686
Email: amnesty-eu@aieu.be