WASHINGTON -- Eight years after what has become widely known as the "Andijon massacre," " Human Rights Watch says Uzbekistan remains a human-rights disaster."
In a statement to mark the anniversary of the incident, the Washington-based group says that "no one has been held accountable, and the authoritarian president, Islam Karimov, has defied calls for an independent investigation" into the killing of hundreds of demonstrators, according to some estimates, by Uzbek security forces in the city of Andijon on May 13, 2005.
It also says that, since then, "Uzbekistan's reputation as one of the world's worst human-rights abusers has grown."
Before the violence broke out in Andijon in 2005, demonstrators had demanded the release of businessmen being tried for alleged extremist and separatist activities related to "Akramiya," an Islamic organization banned by the government.
In a statement to mark the anniversary of the incident, the Washington-based group says that "no one has been held accountable, and the authoritarian president, Islam Karimov, has defied calls for an independent investigation" into the killing of hundreds of demonstrators, according to some estimates, by Uzbek security forces in the city of Andijon on May 13, 2005.
It also says that, since then, "Uzbekistan's reputation as one of the world's worst human-rights abusers has grown."
Before the violence broke out in Andijon in 2005, demonstrators had demanded the release of businessmen being tried for alleged extremist and separatist activities related to "Akramiya," an Islamic organization banned by the government.
