Foreign Correspondence

[Amaunet]

Witnesses: Uzbeks Protest, Free Prisoners

I have no idea if this is a real demonstration, they have much to protest, or if this is contrived by Bush. That's the problem when you make a mockery of democracy.

If we are not torturing people ourselves we encourage or condone torture in other countries as in the case of Uzbekistan where Britain and the United States are accepting intelligence extracted from suspects under torture.
#msg-4337984

-Am



Friday May 13, 2005 5:31 AM


TASHKENT, Uzbekistan (AP) - Thousands of people have taken to the streets in an eastern Uzbek city to protest the detention of Islamic businessmen on extremism charges, witnesses said.

Valijon Atakhonjonov, the brother of one of 23 businessmen on trial in the eastern Uzbek city of Andijon, said an armed mob had freed the accused and that there was chaos in the streets.

Thousands of people were massed in front of an administrative building and some were firing in the air. ``The people have risen,' he said by telephone.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5002783,00.html



Uzbek President Flies to Site of Uprising

Updated 12:56 AM ET May 13, 2005


TASHKENT, Uzbekistan (AP) - Thousands took to the streets of an eastern Uzbek city on Friday to protest the detention of 23 Islamic businessmen on extremism charges, witnesses said. The president rushes to the city amid reports an armed mob has attacked a prison and freed convicts.

Witnesses reported chaos in the streets of Andijan, but a government spokesman reached by telephone said administrative buildings remained under government control. Still, Uzbek President Islam Karimov and other leaders flew Friday to Andijan, 300 miles east of Tashkent, near Kyrgyz border.

http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pri&dt=050513&cat=news&st=newsd8a236uo0&src=....