Last week, April 2-5, EU representatives visited Uzbekistan to discuss sanctions after a cool meeting on March 28. Uzbekistan's Minister of Foreign Relations said that Uzbekistan would not be lectured to, nor would it countenance any interference in its domestic affairs. Despite these strong words, the EU's Ferrero-Waldner has said that Uzbekistan is “re-thinking” its human relations stance.
Today RFE/RL reports that the journalist Umida Niyazova has been formally charged for border-crossing violations, smuggling contraband (one assumes, her computer, since it was confiscated by authorities), and possibly, the threat of trial for espionage.
Niyazova was reportedly interviewing refugees from the Andijan massacre that still reside in Kyrgyzstan.
This blog has covered Uzbekistan's journalist purge here;
and an anti-sanctions position here.
