Not least thanks to many colleagues reacting to my article, putting pressure on the Norwegian authorities, using their contacts, today this young man was granted ONE MONTH’s stay in Norway. The fight goes on to persuade the Norwegians to grant him asylum. THANKS».
As one recalls, the Norwegian authorities were preparing for deportation of the activist from Uzbekistan held at the immigration services detention centre in Oslo, Norway, after having received the third and final rejection of his appeal for political asylum. The 26-year old Rustam was detained and tortured in Uzbekistan after he and his friends started their campaign against child slavery. He then fled to Norway hoping to be granted asylum and started working as a volunteer for the Uzbek human rights defender Mutabar Tadjibayeva. If he is sent back to Uzbekistan, a long time in prison and severe torture awaits him.
There is a real risk that the regime will kill him, as a warning to others to stay away from human rights work. When his story became known, the international human rights community and media put the pressure upon the Norwegian authorities for ignoring the UN conventions which prohibit deportation of asylum seekers to their countries of origins for fears of persecution, tortures or death.
Fergana will continue to watch the situation closely.
Fergana International Information Agency
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