For the first time ever International organization “Reporters without Borders” that promotes and defends freedom of information and freedom of the press has published a list of the hundred most active journalists, bloggers and human rights activists, who has made the largest contribution to public awareness.

The Paris-based international organization “Reporters without Borders” published a list of profiles of “100 Information Heroes” on the eve of World Press Freedom Day celebrated worldwide on May 3.

This list comprises the names of representatives from 65 countries of the world aged between 25 and 75, including two representatives from Uzbekistan: Mutabar Tadjibayeva, the head of Fiery Hearts Club International Human Rights Organization,and Muhammad Bekzhan, theimprisoned editor of “Erk” opposition newspaper.

Mutabar Tadjibayeva. Six years ago, Mutabar Tadjibayeva was fighting for her life in an Uzbek prison. While jailed from October 2005 to June 2008, this independent journalist and human rights right defender spent more than 100 days in solitary and was subjected to monstrous forms of mistreatment for refusing to sign a confession. Her crime? Documenting human rights violations by the Uzbek authorities for several years, defending their victims and, above all, investigating the 2005 Andijane vents, in which hundreds of innocent people died.

Freed in 2008 after being given the Martin Ennals Award, she now lives in France. Despite a new smear campaign, she has not lost any of her combativeness, running an NGO called the “Fiery Hearts Club”, which has launched the news site Jarayon. Using a vast network of citizen-journalists and local activists, this trilingual site is one of the few sources of independent information about Uzbekistan and its neighbors.

Muhammad Bekzhan. Muhammad Bekzhanis one of the world’s longest held journalists. He is Muhammad Salih’s younger brother, the leader of “Erk” opposition party. Muhammad Bekzhan was the head of “Erk” (Freedom) newspaperthat was the leading media critic of President Islam Karimov. After a series of explosions in Tashkent in 1999, he had to leave Uzbekistanas well as many oppositionists. However, the Ukrainian authorities extradited him back to Uzbekistan, where he was tortured into signing a“confession”. Muhammad Bekzhan was sentenced to 15 years in prison. When the public became aware Muhammad Bekzhan was tortured, the authorities had to reduce his jail term to 13 years.

But in January 2012, just days before he was due to be freed, the authorities gave him another four years and eight months in jail on a charge of disobeying prison officials. According to recent reports, he is now in the prison in the town of Kasan, and as a result of mistreatmenthis health condition remains serious; he suffers from tuberculosis. On November 27, 2013 in Strasbourg, “Reporters without Borders” handed Muhammad BekzhanPrize for “Freedom of the press.”

“These are people who are courageous and active in the matters of human rights and freedoms. They constantly sacrifice their safety and sometimes even their lives to do their jobs,” the statement the organizationsaid.

This year “Reporters Without Borders” published the 2014 Press Freedom Index, in which Uzbekistan is placed in 162ndposition among 180 countries covered by the organization.

Guzal AKHMEDOVA