On 13 May, 2005, Uzbek government forces shot dead hundreds of unarmed protesters at a demonstration in eastern Andijan.The United Nations and other intergovernmental organisations documented the massacre, but the authorities continue to refuse an independent investigation into the events, and persecute those who seek such an enquiry. An all-out crackdown on civil society has targeted human rights defenders and journalists, and created an information vacuum inside and outside the country.

The government has either shut or forced the closure of the BBC, Radio Free Europe/Liberty, Deutsche Welle, and many international organisations ‘ the United Nations is the latest to come under attack. Numerous Uzbek journalists and human rights defenders have fled the country. A new media law puts Uzbek citizens who work for foreign news organisations without official accreditation at risk of imprisonment.

A year later the memories of this horrible massacre are still very fresh. It is important that we don’t let the world forget Andijan.

Please don’t let the anniversary of this atrocity pass us by without a mention anywhere in Britain…

The following website has regular updates on the event worldwide www.freeuzbekistan.com

There is also a petition against the repressive Uzbek regime, please sign and circulate.

Shortcut to: http://freeuzbekistan.com/apeale.html