A Muslim blogger from Uzbekistan who has been in arbitrary detention for five months is facing charges of threatening public security with a potential eight-year prison sentence, for an innocuous social media post, Human Rights Watch said today.
Fazilhoja Arifhojaev faces charges of threatening public security based on an innocuous social media post commenting on whether it is appropriate for a Muslim to congratulate non-Muslims on their religious holidays.
A Tashkent court handed 47-year-old Odilbek Khojabekov a five year labour camp sentence to punish him for returning from haj pilgrimage with Islamic literature. A first trial gave him a suspended sentence which was later removed for good probation behaviour. The SSS secret police then pressured ordinary police, prosecutors, and others into giving what the family insists is false testimony at a second trial which jailed him. He is in hiding fearing for his safety. Separately, two prisoners of conscience continue to be tortured and one went on hunger strike.
Forum 18: UZBEKISTAN: The regime wants to shut people up forum18.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from forum18.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.