Radio Free Europe Says Uzbek Reporter Jailed



“This was a kangaroo court,” the statement quoted the station’s President Thomas A. Dine as saying. Thomas Dine, head of Radio Free Europe, served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines.

Radio Free Europe Says Uzbek Reporter Jailed

Radio Free Europe Says Uzbek Reporter Jailed

Created: 30.08.2005 18:36 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 18:36 MSK

MosNews

An Uzbekistan court has jailed a correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty for six months for insulting a security official, the Reuters news agency reports, quoting the station’s Tuesday broadcast.

Authorities in Central Asian Uzbekistan, who tolerate little dissent, have come under intense international scrutiny since a May crackdown when witnesses said troops killed hundreds of protesters in the eastern town of Andijan.

Nosir Zokirov, the radio station’s correspondent in Namangan, near Andijan, was tried without a defense lawyer and without any examination of witnesses, the Prague-based station said in a statement.

“This was a kangaroo court,” the statement quoted the station’s President Thomas A. Dine as saying. Radio Free Europe is funded by the U.S. Congress.

“The sentencing of Nosir Zokirov on such an absurd charge marks a new low in an intensifying campaign against him and (our) other correspondents,” Dine said.

The charge related to an angry telephone call Zokirov made to the Namangan office of the National Security Service to protest about pressure on a local poet, the statement said.

Court officials could not immediately be reached for comment. Svetlana Artykova, a spokeswoman for the Prosecutor General’s office, said: “I cannot comment on the actions of the courts .... the judiciary in our country is independent.”

Witnesses say some 500 people were killed in Andijan when troops were sent in to quell an uprising. Officials say the death toll was 187 and that most of these were armed people with links to Islamic extremism.

President Islam Karimov says his tough methods are necessary to prevent Islamic extremists seizing power in his Muslim ex-Soviet state, which borders Afghanistan.

When this story was posted in August 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

Top Story: Military Option sparks concerns The U.S. military, struggling to fill its voluntary ranks, is allowing recruits to meet part of their reserve military obligations after active duty by serving in the Peace Corps. Read why there is opposition to the program among RPCVs. Director Vasquez says the agency has a long history of accepting qualified applicants who are in inactive military status. John Coyne says "Not only no, but hell no!" and RPCV Chris Matthews leads the debate on "Hardball." Latest: Avi Spiegel says Peace Corps is not the place for soldiers while Coleman McCarthy says to Welcome Soldiers to the Peace Corps. RPCVs: Take our Poll.

---

---

Upcoming Events: Peace Corps Fund in NYC Peace Corps Fund announces Sept 29 Fund Raiser in NYC High Atlas Foundation Hosts a Reception in NYC on Sept 15 Jody Olsen to address Maryland RPCVs at Sept 17 picnic "Artists and Patrons in Traditional African Cultures" in NY thru Sept 30 See RPCV Musical "Doing Good" in CA through Sept "Iowa in Ghana" at "The Octogan" in Ames through October 7 RPCV Film Festival in DC in October RPCV's exhibit at Museum of Man in San Diego thru May 2006

---

Top Stories: August 20, 2005 Jack Crandall writes "Memories relished by WWII Generation" Cris Groenendaal plays Phantom of Opera on Broadway 19 Aug Peace Corps Director Travels to Madagascar 19 Aug RPCV presents "Artists and Patrons in Traditional African Cultures" 19 Aug Robert Brown to head Southeast Asian Studies at UCLA 19 Aug Peter McPherson to head national university association 19 Aug Len Flier says US has lose-lose scenario in Iraq 18 Aug Ruth DeMaio sends aid to Niger 18 Aug Bob Taft pleads no contest to ethics law violation 18 Aug Antoinette Allen is Field Hockey coach at Hun School 16 Aug Tony Hall Avoids Mugabe on Zimbabwe trip 14 Aug Peace Corps Receives 2005 Medgar Evers Award 10 Aug Jeff Wray is filming "The Soul Searchers" 10 Aug 40th anniversary of Shriver's Foster Grandparent Program 9 Aug Tom Petri writes "It's not just about highways" 9 Aug Terry Dougherty brings students from Afghanistan to US 8 Aug Chris Newhall is leading volcano scientist 5 Aug Douglas Biklen appointed dean at Syracuse University 5 Aug Greg Kovalchuk and Mike Kelly Find Rare Fossil 4 Aug Edward O'Toole salvages furniture for schools in Honduras 3 Aug Gary Mount is Apple Grower Of The Year 1 Aug

---

The Peace Corps Library Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related stories in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can find hundreds of stories about what RPCVs with your same interests or from your Country of Service are doing today. If you have a web site, support the "Peace Corps Library" and link to it today.

---

Friends of the Peace Corps 170,000 strong 170,000 is a very special number for the RPCV community - it's the number of Volunteers who have served in the Peace Corps since 1961. It's also a number that is very special to us because March is the first month since our founding in January, 2001 that our readership has exceeded 170,000. And while we know that not everyone who comes to this site is an RPCV, they are all "Friends of the Peace Corps." Thanks everybody for making PCOL your source of news for the Returned Volunteer community.

Read the stories and leave your comments.