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Recommendations           

To the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan:

  • Immediately grant access to Andijan to an independent, credible, international investigative team operating under the terms of reference set out by the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights. Allow such a team unfettered access to people and places relevant to investigation of the events of May 13, 2005.
  • Grant access to Uzbekistan to the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions, the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Human Rights Defenders, and the Working Groups on Arbitrary Detention and Disappearances.
  • Grant the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and diplomatic missions based in Tashkent access to the four men—Dilshod Khajiev, Tavakal Khajiev, Hasan Shakirov, and Mukhammad Kadirov—forcibly returned to Uzbekistan by the government of Kyrgyzstan, where the men had sought asylum.
  • Immediately release from custody human rights defenders, journalists and political activists wrongly detained and arrested, including:  Saidjahon Zainabitdinov, Nurmukhammad Azizov, Akbar Oripov, Dilmurod Muhiddinov, Musozhon Bobozhono, Hamdam Suleimanov, Norboi Kholjigitov, Abdusattor Irzaev, Khabbubulla Akpulatov, Abdurasul Khudainazarov, Nosir Zokir, and Elena Urlaeva. Make public the whereabouts of Saidjahon Zainabitdinov.
  • Guarantee due process rights to those arrested since May 13, including the right of those in custody to meet with the counsel of their choice in private.
  • Guarantee international monitors access to trials of human rights defenders, journalists and political activists and to trials of those accused of involvement in the Andijan violence.
  • Investigate and prosecute allegations regarding the use of torture by Uzbek law enforcement agents during the course of detentions and interrogations of people in Andijan following the May 13 massacre.

To the Government of the Russian Federation: 

  • Publicly acknowledge the need for an independent, international investigation that includes in its mandate examining human rights abuses committed by government forces in Andijan.

To the Government of Kyrgyzstan:

  • Comply with the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol and the Convention Against Torture. Specifically, protect and guarantee the rights of refugees from Uzbekistan who have fled to Kyrgyzstan seeking safety. Do not forcibly send back to Uzbekistan people who would face torture or persecution if returned.

To the Government of the United States:

  • Recognizing that in the absence of an independent investigation, it has not been possible to determine which Uzbek units took part in the Andijan massacre and cover-up, freeze any remaining military and counter-terrorism assistance to all units of the Uzbek armed forces, National Security Services, and Ministry of Internal Affairs, pursuant to the Leahy amendment which stipulates that U.S. government aid shall not be provided to units that have participated in gross human rights abuses.
  • Institute a ban on visas to the U.S. for senior members of the government of Uzbekistan who exercise command and control of the armed forces that committed the massacre in Andijan. In addition, freeze U.S.-based assets belonging to the above-named senior government officials.
  • Continue and expand U.S. government support for civil society, including support of human rights defenders and creation and promotion of alternatives to state-run media.
  • Insist that the government of Uzbekistan conform to its commitments under the U.S.-Uzbekistan Declaration on Strategic Partnership, signed in March 2002, which include commitments to “intensify the democratic transformation of society . . . taking into account obligations deriving from international treaties.” In addition, withhold payments to the government of Uzbekistan for any military base-related services until the government of Uzbekistan abides by its obligations under the bilateral partnership agreement.

To the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE): 

  • Send a team of trained observers to monitor and report on the conduct of trials of those accused by the government of Uzbekistan of responsibility for the violence in Andijan, including those charged with “terrorism” and “Islamic extremism.”
  • Strongly and publicly condemn the government of Uzbekistan illegal detention, arrest and harassment of Uzbek human rights defenders, journalists and political activists.
  • As recommended by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the OSCE, strengthen the capacity of OSCE field missions in Uzbekistan to better monitor the human rights situation there.

To the European Union (E.U.):

  • Given the government of Uzbekistan’s refusal to fulfill the E.U. General Affairs and External Relations Council’s (GAERC) call for an independent, international inquiry into the massacre in Andijan, and the Uzbek government’s persistent non-compliance with the terms of the agreement, immediately suspend the E.U.’s Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with Uzbekistan.
  • Immediately enact an embargo on arms sales from E.U. member states to Uzbekistan.
  • Immediately enact a ban on issuance of visas to senior members of the Uzbek government who exercise command and control of the armed forces that committed the massacre in Andijan.

To the United Nations (U.N.):

  • The Secretary General should appoint a Special Envoy on Uzbekistan to signal that the political and human rights situation in the country remains a serious concern at the highest level of the United Nations. The Special Envoy should be tasked with monitoring the evolving political and human rights situation in Uzbekistan, recommending and coordinating appropriate follow-up action on Uzbekistan by U.N. agencies, as well as intergovernmental bodies such as the Commission on Human Rights, and raising serious security and human rights concerns with the Uzbek government.
  • The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and its special mechanisms should continue to closely monitor the human rights situation in Uzbekistan and undertake action on specific cases as appropriate.
  • The U.N. country team should provide support to civil society organizations seeking to monitor the human rights situation.

To all States:

  • As recommended by the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, issue a stay of deportation to Uzbekistan of Uzbek asylum seekers and eyewitnesses to the Andijan massacre who would face the risk of torture if returned.


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