Human rights defender Mr Norboy Kholjigitov was released on parole on 14 October 2011. The former president of the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan (HRSU), Ishtikhan district, served 6 years and 4 months of a 10-year sentence.
Further Information
On 4 June 2005 Norboy Khaljigitov was taken into custody and on 18 October the Samarkand Regional Criminal Court sentenced him to 10-years imprisonment on charges of extortion and slander.
Norboy Kholjigitov was one of the eldest of the imprisoned human rights defenders in Uzbekistan and was regularly subjected to ill-treatment while in detention. He suffers from diabetes and his health greatly deteriorated while in prison. As a result he spent the last two years of his sentence in the prison hospital.
The Dzhizak branch of the HRSU released a statement in which they acknowledge the positive impact of campaigning carried out by international human rights organisations such as FIDH, Front Line Defenders, Amnesty International and others. The HRSU also added that Norboy Kholjigitov is not available to speak with international organisations or the media.
Front Line welcomes the release of Norboy Kholjigitov and calls for the unconditional release of the remaining imprisoned human rights defenders in Uzbekistan.
