International organizations today urged Uzbek President Islam Karimov to release all human rights activists from jail.
The plea was made to Karimov on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Freedom House Executive Director Jennifer Windsor told RFE/RL's Uzbek Service today that her organization and Human Rights Watch had sent a letter to the Uzbek president, asking him and his government to honor the declaration's anniversary by making it an occasion to unconditionally release Uzbek human rights activists.
The organizations say the release of the rights defenders would show Karimov's commitment to the rights declaration.
Human rights organizations say that large numbers of activists are being held in Uzbek prisons for their peaceful activities.