Human Rights Watch/Helsinki respectfully calls on the government of Uzbekistan to take the following steps to ensure the freedom and independence of the media:
C Comply immediately with the free speech obligations enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and bring domestic legislation into conformity with its article 19 provisions as a matter of priority;
C Immediately abolish the State Control Inspectorate and publicly condemn its past censorship functions;
C Ensure that censorship does not continue as official or unofficial practice; for example, by introducing legislation that sets out clear punishments for those who violate already existing laws prohibiting censorship and enforcing such laws rigorously;
C Cease immediately the practice of questioning, surveying, harassing and otherwise intimidating journalists, and ensure that they are not officially penalized or harassed for the peaceful expression of their opinions;
C Punish those responsible for such harassment in a rigorous and timely fashion;
C Allow the public in Uzbekistan free access to all media sources, including Russian print and broadcast media; and
C Immediately lift the ban on those newspapers prohibited solely for exercising their protected right to freedom of expression, as defined in the ICCPR, and end persecution of individuals for possession and dissemination of such newspapers.
Human Rights Watch/Helsinki respectfully urges Uzbekistan's international donors:
C In administering or considering programs of assistance to journalists and the free media, to make public concerns about state control at the outset, and set and keep strict deadlines for compliance with benchmarks for state improvement. In the event of non-compliance, be prepared to withdraw support for the program; and
C In bilateral and multilateral meetings with Uzbekistan government officials, express serious concern about the continued use of censorship in Uzbekistan, remind them of Uzbekistan's legal obligations to protect freedom of expression, and convey donor support for a process of media regulation that is consistent with international human rights standards governing freedom of expression.