Internews ordered out of Uzbekistan

The Times-Standard

Monday, September 12, 2005

ARCATA -- Internews Network, an Arcata-based international media development organization, has been ordered out of Uzbekistan.

A Tashkent city court on Friday found Internews Network, which began operating in Uzbekistan in 1995, guilty of a number of violations of Uzbek law and told it to leave the country.

The court’s action follows the convictions last month of two Internews employees for illegally publishing information and producing TV programs without the necessary licenses, charges that Internews denied.

”They gave us one day’s notice about the hearing and then sped through the proceedings at an incredible rate,” said Catherine Eldridge, country director for Internews Network in Uzbekistan. “The judge refused our request to call witnesses, denied all our petitions and was blatantly biased. This is obviously a politically motivated case.”

Eldridge added, “The closure of Internews Network sets a precedent for the Uzbek government to liquidate other foreign NGOs on the basis of biased court cases and trumped up or trivial charges. This case and the criminal case against our two employees last month were a terrible loss for independent media and human rights in Uzbekistan.”

Annette Makino, senior vice president for communication at Internews Network in Arcata, said, “Given the Uzbek government’s recent history of stifling dissent and harassing organizations that promote human rights and democratization in Uzbekistan, we were not surprised by this decision, but we are very disappointed. In this political climate, it is more important than ever to support independent media in Uzbekistan. We plan to appeal the verdict in hopes that we will be able to continue doing just that.”

Any appeal must be made within 20 days.

Last month, North Coast Congressman Mike Thompson sent a letter to Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov expressing his “concern” about the Uzbekistan government’s actions, which he said “appear to be unjustified harassment and designed to repress the development of independent journalism in Uzbekistan.”

Thompson urged Karimov “to allow Internews to continue to operate in Uzbekistan without governmental impediments and to end the campaign of harassment of independent media.”

In the last 18 months, there has been a crackdown on foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Uzbekistan, especially those supporting the development of democracy.

In July, Uzbekistan gave the United States six months to close its military base at Karshi-Khanabad.

Internews (http://www.internews.org) works in fifty countries with the stated goal of improving access to information for people around the world by fostering independent media and promoting open communications policies.