Journalist and human rights activist Ulugbek Haidarov was beaten outside of his home on April 23. He’s recently written a number of articles critical of Jizzakh’s governor (who is just a peach).
According to IPI’s information, an unidentified assailant was waiting for Haydarov outside his home on the evening of 23 April. During the attack one of Haidarov’s collar-bones was broken and he was later hospitalised. Haydarov told the media that the attacker hit him in the face, and then kicked him when he fell to the ground. The attacker reportedly told the journalist “I will show you how to write”.
Police in Jizzakh are currently investigating the attack, and have several possible motives. The journalist said that he believes the attack was directly related to his publications on the Internet about the situation in the region. Apparently, Haidarov has been warned to stop his critical reporting or face retaliation.
Jamshid Karimov, who writes for IWPR and is a nephew of the president, was beaten in Jizzakh in December. CASCFEN also reports that RSF is asking the interior ministry to investigate the attack.
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Nathan Hamm – author of 2040 posts on Registan.net.
Nathan founded Registan.net in 2003. He was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Uzbekistan 2000-2001 and received his MA in Central Asian Studies from the University of Washington in 2007. Since 2007, he has worked full-time as an analyst, consulting with clients on Central Asian affairs, specializing in how socio-cultural factors shape risks and opportunities. Follow him on Twitter or drop him a line.