Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TASHKENT691
2006-04-07 12:52:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tashkent
Cable title:
JOURNALIST SOBIRJON YAKUBOV RELEASED
how-toVZCZCXRO5915 PP RUEHDBU DE RUEHNT #0691 0971252 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 071252Z APR 06 FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5502 INFO RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ALMATY PRIORITY 7781 RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT PRIORITY 1873 RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK PRIORITY 2399 RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE PRIORITY 2297 RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KIEV PRIORITY 0801 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 6607 RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 1720
C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 000691
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN AND DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/07/2016
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL UZ
SUBJECT: JOURNALIST SOBIRJON YAKUBOV RELEASED
REF: A) 05 TASHKENT 1115 B) 05 TASHKENT 1169 C) 03
TASHKENT 467 D) TASHKENT 439
Classified By: AMB. JON R. PURNELL, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B, D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 000691
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN AND DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/07/2016
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL UZ
SUBJECT: JOURNALIST SOBIRJON YAKUBOV RELEASED
REF: A) 05 TASHKENT 1115 B) 05 TASHKENT 1169 C) 03
TASHKENT 467 D) TASHKENT 439
Classified By: AMB. JON R. PURNELL, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B, D).
1. (C)Sobirjon Yakubov, a journalist with "Hurriyat"
newspaper, was released on April 3, after spending a year in
prison. Yakubov was detained on April 11, 2005, on the
charge of undermining the constitutional order, under article
159 of the criminal code (ref A). However, he was never
formally tried or convicted. The authorities accused
Yakubov, a devout Muslim who had written articles on
democratic reforms and Islam, of links with banned Islamic
groups. Media analysts suspect that the GOU was particularly
angered by his March 2005 article implicating the Kuchma
regime in journalist Heorhi Gongadze's murder; Yakubov had
argued that the slaying underscored the need for democratic
reform in Ukraine, and that similar reforms were needed in
Uzbekistan. Yakubov's lawyer, Shoida Muhammedova, told
poloff that Yakubov is currently visiting relatives in the
Ferghana Valley. An Embassy human rights contact told emboff
that Yakubov was instructed not to speak with diplomats after
his release.
2. (C) The Ambassador had expressed concern over Yakubov's
detention in a meeting with First Deputy Foreign Minister
Nematov in April 2005 (ref B). Another "Hurriyat"
journalist, Gayrat Mehliboyev, was arrested in February 2003,
and sentenced to seven years in prison for membership in
Hizb-ut-Tahrir (ref C).
3. (C) Comment: We welcome Yakubov's release, which follows
the release of RFE/RL Namangan correspondent Nosir Zokir on
February 26 following his completion of a six month sentence
(ref D). We find it interesting that the GOU decided to
grant Yakubov amnesty, as he seems to have never been
officially tried or convicted of a crime. However,
regardless of what means the GOU decided to use to authorize
the journalist,s release from custody, this is good news.
PURNELL
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN AND DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/07/2016
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL UZ
SUBJECT: JOURNALIST SOBIRJON YAKUBOV RELEASED
REF: A) 05 TASHKENT 1115 B) 05 TASHKENT 1169 C) 03
TASHKENT 467 D) TASHKENT 439
Classified By: AMB. JON R. PURNELL, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B, D).
1. (C)Sobirjon Yakubov, a journalist with "Hurriyat"
newspaper, was released on April 3, after spending a year in
prison. Yakubov was detained on April 11, 2005, on the
charge of undermining the constitutional order, under article
159 of the criminal code (ref A). However, he was never
formally tried or convicted. The authorities accused
Yakubov, a devout Muslim who had written articles on
democratic reforms and Islam, of links with banned Islamic
groups. Media analysts suspect that the GOU was particularly
angered by his March 2005 article implicating the Kuchma
regime in journalist Heorhi Gongadze's murder; Yakubov had
argued that the slaying underscored the need for democratic
reform in Ukraine, and that similar reforms were needed in
Uzbekistan. Yakubov's lawyer, Shoida Muhammedova, told
poloff that Yakubov is currently visiting relatives in the
Ferghana Valley. An Embassy human rights contact told emboff
that Yakubov was instructed not to speak with diplomats after
his release.
2. (C) The Ambassador had expressed concern over Yakubov's
detention in a meeting with First Deputy Foreign Minister
Nematov in April 2005 (ref B). Another "Hurriyat"
journalist, Gayrat Mehliboyev, was arrested in February 2003,
and sentenced to seven years in prison for membership in
Hizb-ut-Tahrir (ref C).
3. (C) Comment: We welcome Yakubov's release, which follows
the release of RFE/RL Namangan correspondent Nosir Zokir on
February 26 following his completion of a six month sentence
(ref D). We find it interesting that the GOU decided to
grant Yakubov amnesty, as he seems to have never been
officially tried or convicted of a crime. However,
regardless of what means the GOU decided to use to authorize
the journalist,s release from custody, this is good news.
PURNELL