However, human rights activists fear that in Uzbek authorities may begin a criminal prosecution against independent journalist.

On Thursday, October 3, mass media reported that an independent journalist from Urgench, Sergey Naumov, was released after serving twelve days of administrative arrest.

On the night of October 3, “Jarayon” was able to reach Sergey Naumov via the phone. In a brief interview with our reporter, he was able to report the following:

– I will not write publicly about the conditions, because there are journalists who are in a much worse situation. I was not beaten. They treated me normally. But I was brought to the detention center almost barefoot and in a thin shirt. Old sores emerged again, – said the journalist.

However, according to Sergey Naumov, police of Urgench still have not returned his passport back, which, as a rule, must be returned to the owner in such cases.

50 -year-old freelance journalist from Urgench Sergey Naumov was arrested by police on September 21 in his apartment. The journalist was able to quickly inform few colleagues with his mobile phone about his arrest.

To this day, the police, the National Security Service (NSS) and the Office of Prosecutor of Urgench did not give any information to journalists and human rights defenders about the whereabouts of Naumov, who is the author of several hundred publications on the most vital environmental issues and concerns related to the violation of human rights in Uzbekistan.

When Sergey Naumov was arrested only some of his colleagues were able to learn, using their resources in the local security services, that on the day of his arrest the journalist was sentenced to twelve days under article 183 (“Disorderly conduct”) of the Administrative Code of the Republic Uzbekistan for alleged assault and public insults against a resident of Urgench, Diloram Matyakubova.

Sergey Naumov was not provided with a lawyer in court. The journalist denied all charges against him

Many respected international human rights defenders and defenders of freedom of speech expressed concern about the detention of independent journalists and called on the Uzbek authorities to release Naumov from prison. On October 2, in the center of Moscow, colleagues, friends and family of the arrested journalist held a demonstration in support of him, and condemning the actions of the authoritarian regime in Uzbekistan, which applies various illegal means to suppress voice of civil society in the country.

It is worth noting that a few days before his arrest journalist Sergey Naumov received via e-mail and mobile phone various threats from unknown persons. All of these threats were related to his professional activities.

Commenting on the release from prison of Sergey Naumov, head of the International Human Rights Association “Fiery Hearts Club”, Mutabar Tadjibayeva, expressed concern about the further fate of a freelance journalist living and working in one of the most oppressive countries in the world.

– Of course, the release of Sergey Naumov – after twelve days of arrest – is a very good news. By applying to a freelance journalist the administrative responsibility and arresting him, the government of Uzbekistan once again disgraced itself in the eyes of the world community. I believe that this is the first step of the Uzbek authorities to suppress the free voice of the journalist. I am concerned that soon the authorities may initiate a criminal case against Sergey Naumov , – said Mutabar Tadjibayeva.

The human rights activist added that at present in Uzbekistan there are real concerns for the safety of independent journalist Sergey Naumov, and called on international human rights organizations not to be indifferent to his fate.

Sofia DAVRONOVA