As we clear our desks for 2025, we would like to wish everyone who sees and shares our posts here a peaceful festive season and a happy new year. Our thoughts are with the brave activists in #Uzbekistan who are separated from their families for exercising their right to #FreedomOfExpression.

🇺🇿 Torture survivor makes desperate appeal following threats and intimidation while perpetrators walk free. #Uzbekistan #HumanRights #RuleOfLaw #Justice bit.ly/48MMY2H

🇺🇿 Public participation in development projects is the foundation of inclusive, sustainable investment, yet @ebrd.bsky.social is failing to collect data on stakeholder engagement, particularly in the agribusiness sector in #Uzbekistan as the #IndoramaAgro project has shown. bit.ly/4pNLPhd 🧵

Another victim of lawlessness in #Uzbekistan's agriculture sector as one woman battles against the authorities who illegally seized her land based on a falsified "voluntary" land lease termination. Kudos to Nasiba Turdieva for fighting back 💪🏼 ⚖️ bit.ly/4rJVYwR

🇺🇿 After being subjected to a horrific ordeal, this brave woman's testimony led to the convictions of the chief of the district police and his deputy. But 9 others walked away and returned to their jobs in law enforcement. #Uzbekistan's courts remain broken. #RuleOfLaw #Justice bit.ly/4oDUBNA

It's not every day that justice is served in #Uzbekistan 👏🏼 Gulinara Kosimova, a school principal, has shown remarkable courage to come forward and share her ordeal at the hands of law enforcement officials. It paid with their convictions ⚖️ 🧵 bbc.in/3XX6jHZ

More 💐 for this year's @frontlinedefenders.bsky.social awardee Sharifa Madrakhimova: the #Uzbek blogsphere just voted her #HumanRights defender of the week after she successfully campaigned to stop the illegal felling of trees in her community in #Fergana. 👏🏼

"If you don’t give the land now, tomorrow you’ll be in trouble." #Uzbekistan's bid to develop tourism has seen a spate of illegal land seizures and the expropriation of 3,000 ha of orchards. Again, the victims are farmers. bit.ly/48kYVuH

Forced evictions began in the spring in the neighborhood adjacent to the modest al-Maturidi mausoleum. Then the demolition began.

This is essential reading for those navigating #Uzbekistan in the post Karimov era. Great to see so many references to the work of @uzbekforum.bsky.social and colleagues at @hrw.org and @cottoncampaign.bsky.social. Congratulations, @joannalillis.bsky.social ! 👏🏼

Is the victim on trial? On October 6, we reported the shocking case of a school principal who was brutally beaten by police officers who filmed it. The trial has now begun - behind closed doors without access for journalists. Comment @umidaniyazova.bsky.social #Uzbekistan bit.ly/49Z4G3E

This is really terrible. A black day for the #EU. By forging alliances with the extreme right, European conservative parties have weakened supply chain compliance law beyond recognition. Companies are now less accountable for #HumanRights violations. #CS3D

🇺🇿 #Samarkand, the jewel in #Uzbekistan's #SilkRoad, is now scarred by demolitions and forced evictions. These are blatant violations of @unesco.org heritage protection requirements. bit.ly/4oFvgU5 @ladyputz.bsky.social @thediplomat.com @balaraj.bsky.social @unsr-judges.bsky.social

“Agro-Terrorism” in Uzbekistan: the impunity of local officials to commit acts of violence, extortion, and retribution against farmers. And all in the name of ensuring #cotton and wheat quotas are fulfilled for the state. There are dozens of these stories. 🧵 bit.ly/4oXWGnW

While #Uzbekistan's President Mirziyoyev basks in the glory of hosting @unesco.org's General Conference in #Samarkand, activists are silenced amid forced evictions and demolitions of #UNESCO heritage sites. #SilkRoad #HumanRights bit.ly/4hKRu4z

"In recent years, Uzbek authorities have ramped up restrictions on human rights activism and freedom of expression, targeting activists, bloggers, and others, including with unfounded criminal charges." #Uzbekistan #HumanRights #C5+1

As millions of dollars from IFIs pour into #Uzbekistan to improve water saving technologies, fraud, corruption and abuse of power by local authorities is causing massive debts for farmers. @ebrd.bsky.social #WorldBank bit.ly/47zm4cC

VERY important - thank you @oscemediafreedom.bsky.social! Attacks on journalists, bloggers and activists in #Uzbekistan are increasing at an alarming rate, something we have reported extensively on over the last 3 years.

It's time for #Uzbekistan to start implementing their national and international rights obligations and for the international community to stop being sucked into the government's PR spin. Everything is not fine. @unesco.org @balaraj.bsky.social @unsr-judges.bsky.social #Samarkand bit.ly/4oPiJNK

"Fighting for human rights means defending the dignity of everyone," says journalist and rights defender Sharifa Madrakhimova, winner of this year's @frontlinedefenders.bsky.social Award for #CentralAsia. #Uzbekistan #HumanRights bit.ly/49oO1q2

Uzbek journalist: "I don't trust UNESCO." This month, @unesco.org will hold its General Conference in Samarkand, one if its prized heritage zones, currently facing unbridled tourism development, impacting some of the region's most precious heritage sites. bit.ly/3JeBLhj #Uzbekistan #Samarkand

Uzbek journalist: "I don't trust UNESCO." This month, @unesco.org will hold its General Conference in Samarkand, one if its prized heritage zones, currently facing unbridled tourism development, impacting some of the region's most precious heritage sites. bit.ly/3JeBLhj #Uzbekistan #Samarkand

#HumanRights are supposed to be a key element of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement. @ec.europa.eu is clearly ignoring all the alarm bells ringing in #Uzbekistan.

💐Delighted to see that fearless Uzbek rights defender and journalist Sharifa Madrakhimova was finally able to receive her award from @frontlinedefenders.bsky.social in person at @odihr.pl #WarsawHDC after her passport was destroyed to prevent her from leaving #Uzbekistan. #RepressionFail 👏🏼 🧵

Join Silk Mirage on tour! Just over a month to publication of my book on #Uzbekistan by @bloomsburyacad.bsky.social, and some great events are coming up: Clifton LitFest w @peterleonard1.bsky.social, Pushkin House with Ibrat Safo, Royal Society for Asian Affairs with Sophie Ibbotson + much more!

📢 #WarsawHDC @odihr.pl : happening today! Join @umidaniyazova.bsky.social to discuss #PressFreedom in #CentralAsia organized by @pressfreedom.bsky.social @americanbar.org and #ClooneyFoundation at 14:30-15:30, Meeting Room 2, Saski @oscemediafreedom.bsky.social

For those attending #WarsawHDC, be sure to make time for this panel on #PressFreedom in #CentralAsia organized by @pressfreedom.bsky.social, @americanbar.org and Clooney Foundation/Trial Watch with @umidaniyazova.bsky.social and others. Tomorrow, Thursday, 9 October:

The #Uzbek government is learning the hard way that it takes more than a PR campaign to convince the world it is embracing civil society. Their event at #WarsawHDC is embarrassingly empty.....

@ebrd.bsky.social & @ifcorg.bsky.social investments in Indorama in #Uzbekistan resulted in massive rights violations. "Public finance should not be used to whitewash the reputations of repeat offenders in countries where civil society & institutions are under sustained attack." bit.ly/4mYWYts

More about Silk Mirage and full list of book tour events - from Clifton LitFest with @peterleonard1.bsky.social and Royal Society for Asian Affairs with Sophie Ibbotson to Oxford University and UCL on my Substack here substack.com/home/post/p-...

Today we note the impact of our reporting: Our #HumanRights alert made waves on Uzbek media, prompting an investigation by the Business Ombudsman. Let's hope it's prompt and transparent and ends in accountability! t.me/biznes_ombud...

New newsletter launched: "International Affairs for Normal People" - read my first post and subscribe. It's free: www.internationalaffairsfornormalpeople.eu/normal-peopl...

Revered founding father or despised despotic dictator? Check out my new Substack post on attitudes to the late president Islam Karimov in the New #Uzbekistan that his sucessor, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, says he is building. open.substack.com/pub/joannali...

Fascinating episode of Turan Tales podcast by @aga-pik.bsky.social on the Soviet influence on #CentralAsian music and the evolution of estrada 👏🏼🕺🏼🇺🇿 bit.ly/48xpJJV

Since July this year, we have been posting weekly #HumanRights alerts, reporting on serious issues from inside #Uzbekistan that international audiences might not otherwise see. So far, we have collected 18 stories you should know about: bit.ly/47KGu4a

📢 New #HumanRights alert: We have documented dozens of reports of arbitrary acts of violence against farmers in recent months. How does this promote sustainable #cotton from #Uzbekistan?? Hold those responsible to account now! bit.ly/46m1Oul

🇺🇿 Punished for Obedience: Without addressing the motivation and incentives for officials to forcibly mobilize pickers, #Uzbekistan’s #cotton fields remain a high risk environment for #ForcedLabor: bit.ly/4n5SWjC

📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢 #Uzbekistan: Blogger & activist Valijon Kalonov has been held in forced psychiatric detention for exercising his freedom of expression since December 2021. RELEASE HIM NOW! bit.ly/3VhWDXj 🧵

📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢 PLEASE SHARE FAR AND WIDE!: Wrongfully imprisoned activist Dildora Khakimova who is suffering from breast cancer must be released immediately to receive life-saving medical treatment! #Uzbekistan #HumanRights bit.ly/42tn6oL

📢 Our new report is out now! Germany’s development bank #KfW - while branding its operations as "responsible banking" - is fueling reprisals, displacement & environmental destruction. Read more👇 rightsindevelopment.org/kfw-irrespon...

📢 Uzbek Forum is posting on Linked In: www.linkedin.com/company/uzbe... Follow us for lots of updates on #HumanRights in #Uzbekistan!

! UPDATE ! After this incident was widely reported, the Ministry of Poverty Reduction & Employment announced that Dilfuza Tashmatova was fined 20.6 million UZS ($1,650) under Article 51 of the Administrative Code on Coercion to Labor.

📢 #Uzbekistan: #Cotton harvest 2025 off to a bumpy start as official threatens local council (mahalla) staff with dismissal for failing to recruit enough cotton pickers. It's time the Uzbek government finally abolishes the mechanisms that can result in #ForcedLabor. bit.ly/42mfiVE 🧵

📢 Join us this Wednesday, Sept 10th, for the online launch of our new report "#KfW: Irresponsible Banking”, with human rights defenders from #Mexico & #Indonesia + Pichamon Yeophantong, chairperson of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights ⏩Register here us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

🆘 #Uzbekistan: Farmer in Kashkadarya sees no way out following threats and intimidation by local governor in Shakhrisabz. This is a cry for HELP! bit.ly/3HSMPjv

🔥Latest #HumanRightsAlert: Police violence in #Uzbekistan - One victim had to have his spleen removed, another sustained 4 serious injuries including a perforated eardrum. No accountability, just multiple violations of national and international law 😡 bit.ly/45P89zG

UN experts urge #UNCAC States Parties to safeguard civic space & uphold human rights in anti-corruption efforts. #Uzbekistan's restrictions on #FreedomOfSpeeech and #FreedomOfAssociation undermine these efforts. @uncaccoalition.bsky.social bit.ly/4p43Mbq

📺 #Uzbekistan: "The Charvak issue is dead - it was killed." Radio Ozodlik reports that Uzbek journalists and bloggers are banned from speaking and writing about concerns over the #SeaBreeze tourism project on #Charvak reservoir. #FreedomOfSpeech #Environment bit.ly/3I0sSXV

#Uzbekistan: UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing expresses serious concern related to the forced eviction of > 1,500 residents and ongoing and planned demolition of approx. 220 homes near @unesco.org protected site Abu Mansur al-Maturidi mausoleum in #Samarkand. 🧵

In a bid to become the #Disneyland of #CentralAsia, the Uzbek government has given the green light to the destruction of a @unesco.org heritage site, the Al-Moturidi complex in #Samarkand, literally bulldozing homes to boost tourism. Important background by Farida Charif: bit.ly/3JDGUiI