Posted
June 20th, 2011
by
Whilst Mr Usmonov has reported on the judicial trials and activities of the Hizbi Tahrir party in Tajikistan, at the request of the BBC, the corporation has stated that the charges against him are completely unfounded. There is a widespread belief that his arrest was an attempt to censor coverage of sensitive political and religious issues.
At 1pm today, Wednesday 22 June, English PEN will be joining BBC journalists at a vigil outside Bush House, Aldwych, in solidarity with Urinboy Usmonov. Please do join us if you can. ***
English PEN joins the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in condemning the reported beating of its staff member journalist Urinboy Usmonov and the denial of his right to access a lawyer. English PEN calls for an open and impartial investigation in to the charges against Usmonov, who is accused of membership of the banned Islamic movement Hizb ut-Tahrir and of seeking to recruit members to the group via the internet.
Usmonov has been a reporter for the BBC Central Asian Service for the last ten years. He was reported missing when he failed to return to his family home in the Northern Tajikistani town of Khujand on 13 June 2011. He appeared at his family home the following day, 14 June, accompanied by members of the Tajik security services. They told his family that Usmonov had been arrested, and conducted a search of the house. It was reported that Usmonov had injuries which suggested that he had been beaten and that he had difficulty walking during this search. Usmonov’s son Oybek said that although the police conducted a thorough search of the house they did not take anything away. The family is further concerned about Usmonov’s health as he suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure.
Usmonov’s lawyer, Fayziniso Vohidova, said that an arrest warrant was signed by the court on 15 June and that the journalist could legally be held in detention for two months. She reported that she has been denied access to her client.
In a statement, the BBC rejected the charges against Usmonov, asserting that “Whilst Mr. Usmonov has reported on the judicial trials and activities of the Hizbi Tahrir party in Tajikistan at the request of the BBC, the BBC has no reason to believe these allegations“.
To view the BBC Statement on the case, please click here.
For more news and information from Tajikistan and information on the case, please click here.
TAKE ACTION:
Please send letters of appeal to the authorities in Tajikstan:
- Calling for a fair and impartial investigation into the accusations against Mr. Usmonov;
- Demanding that he be given full access to his lawyer and full enjoyment of his right to a fair trial, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and other international legal instruments;
- Condemning the reported beating of Usmonov and calling for the authorities to investigate these claims and to ensure that his other health needs are fully attended to.
Appeals to:
Mr. Emomali Rahmon,
President of Tajikistan,
Email: mail@president.tj
Tajikistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Dushanbe Rudaki 42
734051
Fax. 992 372 210 259
Email: admin@mfa.tj
Please also send letters of appeal to the Tajikstan Embassy in the UK:
His Excellency Mr. Erkin Kasymov
Tajikistan Embassy
26-28 Hammersmith Grove,
London
W6 0NE
Fax: 0208 834 1100
Email: info@tajembassy.org.uk
Originally posted with the url: www.englishpen.org/writersinprison/wipcnews/tajikistanbbcjournalistarrested/
