On February 13, Eric Colling, representative of the U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan, Lottie Wheeler, employee of the British Embassy, visited Jizzakh region, where they met with local human rights activists Saida Kurbanova and Uktam Pardayev.
The meeting was held in Uktam Pardayev’s home.
As Uktam Pardaev told to “Jarayon”, during the meeting with rights activists the diplomats asked questions about torture during their detention, as well as their condition after being released from the detention center.
However, according to Pardayev, several women allegedly sent by authorities tried to break into their meeting.
“The OBON women (special purpose units of women – women’s groups that arrange scandals for compensation), who were sent by officers of the Interior department of Jizzakh region, tried to break into the house and intervene the meeting,” said Pardayev.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time that local police and intelligence agencies are trying to intervene the meetings Western diplomats with human rights activists and opposition members.
Uktam Pardayev, head of the Jizzakh branch of the International Society of Human Rights, was arrested for 15 days on September 30, 2012. And Saids Kurbanova, activist of the “Birdamlik” (Solidarity) movement in Jizzakh region, was detained on December 6 last year and was charged with “disorderly conduct” and deprived of liberty for 15 days.
George Krol, the U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan, visited Jizzakh region on December 12, 2012, where he met with governor S. Ismailov, Prosecutor of the region B. Dzhamolov, members of the Senate, as well as with local human rights activists.
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