Deutsche Welle freelancer faces up to 10 years in prison
 |
Datum nieuwsfeit: 24-05-2007 |
 |
Bron: Reporters Without Borders |
|
|
| Scroll de pagina (druk op een toets of muisknop om het scrollen te stoppen) |
Reporters Without Borders
Uzbekistan 23 May 2007
Deutsche Welle freelancer faces up to 10 years in prison
Reporters Without Borders today condemned the government's intention
to try journalist Yuri Chernogayev, a Tashkent-based freelancer for
the German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle. The prosecutor's office
told him on 18 May that he will soon be formally charged with a range
of offences including threatening national security. He faces up to 10
years in prison.
"This is a travesty of justice designed to silence those working for
foreign news media," the press freedom organisation said. "Less than
two weeks after a meeting between European Union and Uzbek officials
at which President Islam Karimov was asked to give evidence of his
commitment to improve human rights, this development is a slap in the
face for all press freedom activists."
An investigation was originally opened against Chernogayev in March
for suspected "tax evasion." Then he was suspected of helping Deutsche
Welle correspondent, Natalya Bushuyeva, to flee the country. Now other
charges are to be added - "defaming the president" (article 158 of the
criminal code), "defaming the Republic of Uzbekistan (article 159) and
"producing and disseminating material constituting a threat to
national security and public order" (article 244-1). He must also pay
an 800-dollar fine.
"We urge the judicial authorities to be lenient and reasonable,"
Reporters Without Borders said. "Chernogayev already has to pay a
stiff fine. A prison sentence would be outrageous. The main accusation
against him is having documents relating to an Islam and Tolerance'
conference that were posted on the Deutsche Welle website."
According to the governmental Media Surveillance Centre, it was this
document that posed a threat to national security. The centre's job is
to ensure that radio and TV stations make proper use of the
frequencies assigned to them. It is not supposed to take a position on
media content.
"Unfortunately, this is not the first time that the Media Surveillance
Centre has overstepped its authority," Reporters Without Borders
added. "It issued a similar opinion on the content of journalist and
human rights activist Umida Niyazova's laptop computer, which included
a report on the crackdown on the Andijan uprising."
The EU voted to adopt sanctions against Uzbekistan after the
government's crackdown on the uprising in the eastern city of Andijan
on 13 May 2005 left a death toll estimated at about 800 by human
rights groups (and 187 by the government). Since then, the sanctions
have been reexamined every six months. They were eased slightly for
the second time on 14 May as part of a dialogue on human rights.
|
|
 |
Dit is een bericht uit het Nieuwsbank persberichtenarchief. Gegevens in
dit bericht kunnen verouderd zijn. Overname is toegestaan onder
voorwaarden.
Eventueel in dit bericht vermelde (e-mail) adressen en telefoonnummers
zijn uitsluitend bedoeld voor journalisten.
Terug naar boven
|
