Russian Court Rejects Challenge To Uzbek Extraditions

Demonstrators targeting the Uzbek government outside Tashkent's embassy in Brussels in May 2006 (RFE/RL) November 30, 2006 -- Rights activists say Russia's Supreme Court has rejected a challenge to a recent order by prosecutors to deport 12 Uzbek nationals and one Kyrgyz citizen to Tashkent.

The Moscow-based rights group Memorial and Civic Assistance (Grazhdanskoye Sodeistviye) says the court reached its decision on November 28.


Supreme Court spokesman Pavel Odintsov told RFE/RL's Uzbek Service today that the plaintiffs may appeal the decision with the next-highest legal instance, which is the Supreme Court's presidium.


"Under [Russian] laws, the sides have 10 days to appeal a decision made by a lower court with a higher legal authority," Odintsov said.


The suspects have been in custody in the central Russian city of Ivanovo since June 2005.


They are wanted in Uzbekistan for their alleged involvement in an uprising that led to a deadly crackdown by authorities in the eastern Uzbek city of Andijon.


On August 3, the Russian Prosecutor-General's Office ordered that they be sent to Uzbekistan. But it suspended the deportation a few days later, apparently to give the European Court of Human Rights time to examine their case.


On October 24, Russian authorities deported another Uzbek national, Rustam Muminov, who was also wanted in his home country for alleged participation in the Andijon events.


(with additional reporting by Prima-News, ferghana.ru)

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.