Uzbekistan Draws “Curtain of Secrecy” Tighter – Media Rights Group

A leading international media rights group has condemned Uzbekistan over the recent deportation of a prominent independent journalist, saying the incident highlights the Uzbek government's desire to throw a cloak of "secrecy" over the country.

Igor Rotar, a Russian citizen who reported for Forum 18 news, a Norway-based news service that focuses on religious freedom issues, was deported to Moscow on August 13 after being held for almost two days by Uzbek authorities. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

In a statement released August 15, Ann Cooper, the executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, characterized the Uzbek decision to detain and expel Rotar as arbitrary. "In taking actions such as this, President Islam Karimov's government draws the curtain of secrecy even tighter and reaffirms its disturbing move towards international isolation," Cooper said.

Rotar told the Ferghana.ru web site that his deportation was linked to a broad Uzbek government media crackdown that has intensified in the weeks since the Andijan events on May 13. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Tashkent's ultimate aim, some media analysts say, is to eliminate all independent sources of information in the country.

After being detained on August 11, Uzbek authorities tried to force Rotar "to buy his own ticket" to Moscow "and claim he was not deported," Ferghana.ru quoted Rotar as saying. He added that Uzbek police never physically harmed him, but they did threaten to beat him if he continued to refuse to buy his airline ticket. Rotar's resistance finally forced Uzbek authorities to formally deport him. Forum 18 said that the quick international response to Rotar's arrest contributed to his safe release.

"Rotar was held without explanation, and forbidden to have contact with others. It is highly likely that if Western diplomats had not intervened,