A long-time activist and contributor to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and other news agencies, Umida Niazova stood trial before a court in Uzbekistan in April 2007 for “distributing material causing public disorder,” among other criminal charges. Despite the threat of a lengthy prison term, Niazova continued her criticism of the government and its repressive laws. “This is the idea of a democracy,” Niazova told the court. “If we want to build civil society, criticism of the authorities must be allowed.”

Niazova embodies the struggle of Uzbek human rights defenders who, in spite of government repression, continue to speak out against the government’s abuses. In the three years since government forces killed hundreds of unarmed protesters in the eastern city of Andijan, Uzbekistan’s rulers have continued to engage in widespread harassment, interrogations, house arrests, and arbitrary detention of civil society actors. Niazova, an independent journalist from Tashkent and a former translator for Human Rights Watch, was arrested in January 2007 and convicted in May 2007 on politically motivated charges. At her appeal, she was forced to denounce the work of Human Rights Watch and publicly admit guilt. She was eventually granted amnesty, but it was understood that she would not take up her human rights or journalistic activities within Uzbekistan again.

As a token gesture, in response to criticism from the European Union and the United States, the Uzbek government has recently released a few human rights defenders from prison. These releases are welcome. But, as Niazova’s experiences demonstrate, Uzbek society is far from free. The government continues to deny accountability for its role in the May 2005 Andijan killings, and it silences those who question the official version of the massacre. Human Rights Watch honors Niazova, who, at great personal sacrifice and risk, has advocated on behalf of her fellow citizens and compelled the international community to scrutinize the Uzbek government’s deplorable human rights record.