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Uzbekistan: President Karimov's death unlikely to improve human rights
With widespread reports of the death of President Islam Karimov, Uzbekistan’s repressive regime is unlikely to change, said Amnesty International this afternoon.
Amnesty International’s Europe and Central Asia Deputy Director Denis Krivosheev said:
“Islam Karimov’s death marks the end of an era in Uzbekistan, but almost certainly not of the pattern of grave human rights abuses. His successor is likely to come from Karimov’s closest circle, where dissenting minds have never been tolerated.“During his 27-year long rule, rights and freedoms were profoundly disregarded, with any dissent brutally crushed, and torture and arbitrary detentions became integral to the country’s justice system.“Hundreds died in the Andizhan massacre alone, and the perpetrators were never held to account.“Many thousands have ended up in prisons following unfair trials. Any semblance of justice in the country will require deep political changes and a new, principled approach from Uzbekistan’s international partners, something which has been totally lacking in recent years.”