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Czech Court Frees Uzbek Refugee


Andijon residents pray in front of the bodies of victims of the government crackdown in May 2005 (file photo) (epa) PRAGUE, August 16, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- An Uzbek refugee from Andijon who was detained on an Interpol warrant while crossing the Czech-German border last month has been freed, RFE/RL's Uzbek Service reports.


Omonullo Maqsudov, who has official refugee status in Germany, was released from a prison in Plzen today.


He was among hundreds of Uzbeks who fled violence in May 2005 in the eastern Uzbek city of Andijon, where rights groups and eyewitnesses accuse Uzbek security forces of killing hundreds of protesters.


Maqsudov is the son-in-law of Akrom Yuldoshev, an alleged leader of Akramiya, a religious group that Uzbek officials blame for the unrest in Andijon.

Andijon Refugees

Andijon Refugees

Uzbek refugees in Kyrgyzstan on May 19, 2005 (epa)

NO PLACE TO GO: More than 400 Uzbeks who fled in panic in the hours and days after troops opened fire on demonstrators in Andijon one year ago have been granted political asylum outside Central Asia. In limbo for weeks in Kyrgyzstan as they and the world tried to come to grips with the bloody events of May 12 and 13, they feared for their lives and the lives of family members as the official crackdown continued.... (more)


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THE COMPLETE STORY: A dedicated webpage bringing together all of RFE/RL's coverage of the events in Andijon, Uzbekistan, in May 2005 and their continuing repercussions.


CHRONOLOGY

For an annotated timeline of the Andijon events and their repercussions, click here.

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