EBRD Expresses Concern over Human Rights Situation in Uzbekistan

One year after the adoption of the country strategy, it is clear that the benchmarks did not trigger the necessary reforms. This failure is attributable, first and foremost, to the Uzbek government's flagrant disregard for human rights and democracy, an attitude exhibited even during the EBRD annual meeting, when police detained or placed under house arrest human rights defenders to prevent them from attending public demonstrations, restricted media coverage of the event, and harassed and intimidated civil society activists participating in the meeting.