🇺🇿 Uzbekistan's #cotton and wheat farmers are vulnerable to exploitation, including illegal land seizures. Read our new joint report with @hrw.org out on Tuesday, February 17! #Cotton #Uzbekistan #Agriculture #Farmers #LandRights

🇺🇿 #Uzbekistan #Cotton #Farmers

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Together with Freedom for Eurasia, the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan “Ezgulik”, and the Uzbek Forum for Human Rights, we demand that #Uzbekistan must initiate an investigation into allegations of torture against convict Nozimjon Abdullaev and bring those responsible to justice.

‼️ 🇺🇿 Prominent Uzbek rights lawyer's license revoked after daring to criticize the judicial system following his defence of a former State Security Agency employee who alleges he was tortured while in detention. bit.ly/3OoWqkL

🇺🇿 So what were the trends for #HumanRights in #Uzbekistan last year? Spoiler alert: not promising. Read on at @hrw.org World Report: bit.ly/4qSgIl8

❗ #HumanRights Alert: As millions in development finance continue to pour into #Uzbekistan's agriculture sector from @ebrd.bsky.social @adb.org and #WorldBank, illegal land seizures are driving farmers to despair. bit.ly/49WyGNp

Documents from "Uzbekistan Post" are used to process the shipments to Russia, even though the Uzbek postal service is not authorized to operate in Germany. All test parcels containing microelectronic components that were sent by the journalists reached Moscow without any obstacles. 📹 BILD

A stream of torture claims involving #Uzbekistan's most prominent political prisoner - #Karakalpakstan community leader Dauletmurat Tajimuratov - undermine the reform narrative promoted by the Mirziyoyev administration joannalillis.substack.com/p/is-torture...

Сможет ли Узбекистан решить проблему принудительного труда с помощью механизации? bit.ly/46mhYEO

Thank you, Ambassador Eduards Stiprais, EU Special Representative for Central Asia for being on @SLonCentralAsia to talk about EU-Central Asian relations. open.spotify.com/episode/4TbS... And thank you to our sponsors oxussociety.org & @timesca.com!!

🇺🇿 Cotton harvest 2025: mechanization won't solve the structural issues that still make Uzbekistan a risky destination for sourcing #cotton. These issues have been explained in depth for the last 3 years (🧵). Little has changed to address them. bit.ly/49MkHbC #Cotton #Uzbekistan #ForcedLabor 1/

🇺🇿 Cotton harvest 2025: mechanization won't solve the structural issues that still make Uzbekistan a risky destination for sourcing #cotton. These issues have been explained in depth for the last 3 years (🧵). Little has changed to address them. bit.ly/49MkHbC #Cotton #Uzbekistan #ForcedLabor 1/

In Andijan, #Uzbekistan, Chinese investors appear to be benefitting from forced land seizures of farmers. #China #HumanRights #Farmers #LandRights bit.ly/4r5X7O8

🇺🇿 Farmers in Khovos district (Syrdarya) are being forced to sign statements of “voluntary” land-lease terminations while government debt collectors go to their homes and seize their property: #Uzbekistan #Farmers #HumanRights 🧵 bit.ly/4jL3YKr

🇺🇿 More #torture in #Uzbekistan: former government official tortured by state security agents to force him to confess to leaking information to media outlet about former Prime Minister Aripov receiving bribes. Trial behind closed doors, 15 years in prison. bit.ly/45U7dt9

🇺🇿 More #torture in #Uzbekistan: former government official tortured by state security agents to force him to confess to leaking information to media outlet about former Prime Minister Aripov receiving bribes. Trial behind closed doors, 15 years in prison. bit.ly/45U7dt9

🇺🇿 Gulirano Kosimova has shown extraordinary bravery by holding power to account following horrific abuse at the hands of the authorities. However, her ordeal is far from over. Article @thediplomat.com photo @Kun.Uz bit.ly/450moRc

🇺🇿 #Cotton producer Indorama Agro is again at the centre of controversy following reports from local residents that its ginning facility is not using filters, releasing dust and particles into the atmosphere causing respiratory problems. bit.ly/4pxEth1 @ebrd.bsky.social @ifcorg.bsky.social @adb.org

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...