West urged to assist Ruslan Sharipov
Reporters Without Borders called today on the European Union and Western embassies to push for the release of jailed Uzbek journalist and human rights activist Ruslan Sharipov, who says he pleaded guilty to sex charges at his recent trial after being tortured. It also called on the German, French, U.S., Swiss and EU embassies in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, to ensure international standards of justice were observed in the case and to guarantee the safety of Sharipov's family and his lawyer, human rights activist Surat Ikramov, who was beaten up by thugs in Tashkent on Thursday. Sharipov, who is gay, has been frequently harassed by the authorities in recent years to drop his human rights work and criticism of the government. CATEGORYNET
« Read Previous Post | Queer Day Home | Read Next Story »
