"poetry is respected"

posted by k

The Uzbek poet Yusuf Juma has been arrested. So far as I can discover, his "crime" was exhibiting a poster opposing President Karimov in the recent elections.


A petition is currently circulating making the following requests:

1. information about whereabouts of Yusuf Juma and members of his family;

2. humane treatment for Yusuf Juma and members of his family, who are under detention;

3. to allow his lawyer access to Yusuf Juma and other arrested members of his family in prison;

4. to demand their immediate release from detention;

5. to stop persecution of the family members and relatives of Yusuf Juma and provide protection to the family of Yusuf Juma and their relatives.

I shall post more details later. Meanwhile, here is a list of addresses, e-addresses and fax numbers for anyone who wishes to urge the Uzbek government to free Yusuf Juma and his son.

NOTE: not all the e-addresses below work. Please use the addresses at my later post on this subject, which also gives further details of the case.

President of Uzbekistan, Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov, ul. Uzbekistanskaya 43, Rezidentsia prezidenta, 700163 Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan, Fax: +998 71 133 1395325, E-mail: presidents_office@press-service.uz

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vladimir Norov, Ministerstvo inostrannykh del RU, pl. Mustakillik 5; 700029 Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan, Fax: + 998 71 139 15 17, E-mail: rnews@mfa.uz

Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, Sayora Rashidova, ul. Xalqlar Dostligi 1, 700035 Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan, Fax: +998 71 139 85 55, E-mail: office@ombudsman.gov.uz

Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Ubaydulla Mingbaev, Verkhovny Sud Respubliki Uzbekistan, ul. Abdulla Kodiri 1, 700183 Tashkent; Republic of Uzbekistan, Fax: + 998 71 144-62-93

Further information can be found at the website of Uzbekistan Initiative, where the petition will be posted shortly.

General Prosecutor of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Rashidjon Hamidovich Kodirov, ul. Gulyamova 66, 700047 Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan, Fax: +998 71 133 39 17, E-mail: prokuratura@lawyer.com

National Centre for Human Rights, Senator Akmal Saidov Natsionalny, Tsentr po pravam cheloveka, Mustakillik Maidoni 5/3, 700029 Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan, Fax: + 998 71 139 13 56 / 45 16, E-mail: office@nchr.uz

Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the United Nations in Geneva, PO Box 1853, 1215 Geneva 15, Switzerland, Fax: +4122 799 43 02, E-mail: uzbekistan@bluewin.ch