Saturday 13 May the Uzbek exile population in Norway, organised a memorial service in remembrance of the massacre in Andijan, which took place exactly one year before and claimed hundreds of lives. Representatives of the Uzbek civil society, Uzbek political emigrants and refugees, together with the Norwegian Helsinki Committee once again articulated the seriousness of the human rights situation in the Central Asian republic. (15-MAY-06)

Text: Norwegian Helsinki Committee. Picture: AFP

Friday 13 May 2005, a peaceful demonstration of Uzbek civilians was violently dispersed by the Uzbek army, which resulted in hundreds of innocent victims. The Uzbek authorities claimed that the demonstration was organised by Islamic extremists and that all victims were terrorists. Human Rights Watch and OSCE have, however, based on eyewitness testimonies, reported that the Uzbek army used extremely much violence against unarmed protesters. One year after the tragedy, the Uzbek authorities continue to refuse to give international observants access to execute an independent investigation in the events that took place. Therefore we are still not able to say what exactly happened in Andijan on 13 May 2005. None of those responsible for the massacre has been prosecuted or sentenced. And the international community hasn’t done enough to make sure that the Uzbek authorities will follow up international recommendations that have been done.

Requests
During the service the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and the Uzbek representatives, called, amongst other things, on the Norwegian authorities to:
· Increase pressure on the Uzbek authorities to permit an independent inquiry into the 13 May 2005 Andijan-massacre
· Demand immediate release of political prisoners and to open criminal cases that were initiated after the massacre
· Recognize the Andijan-massacre as a crime against humanity
· Take the first steps towards hearings and legal proceedings against those responsible for the massacre
· End the suppression of the Uzbek population