EU Ministers To Voice Concern On Uzbekistan

Demonstration marking Andijon at UN headquarters on May 12 (RFE/RL) May 15, 2006 -- European Union foreign ministers are expected to express their continuing concern about developments in Uzbekistan during a two-day meeting that opens today in Brussels.
EU High Representative for the Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana last week expressed disappointment that Uzbek authorities have still not supported the holding of a credible inquiry into the bloody crackdown in the eastern city of Andijon just over one year ago.

The EU has already taken several measures against the Uzbek authorities over Andijon, including suspending a partnership and cooperation agreement with Tashkent and enacting a visa ban on some Uzbek officials.

The Uzbek government says 187 people -- mostly what officials described as Islamic terrorists or members of the security forces -- died when Uzbek forces opened fire to quell an uprising in Andijon on May 13, 2005. Human rights groups and witnesses say hundreds of mostly unarmed civilians may have been killed.

(AFP)

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.