Dozens of activists picketed the Uzbek
Embassy in Bishkek today in support of Uzbek journalist Yelena Bondar, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.
One of the organizers of the picket, Ulugbek Babakulov, told RFE/RL that Bondar
was detained at Tashkent airport on August 22 on her return from Bishkek, where
she had attended journalism seminars organized by the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the German international broadcaster
Deutsche Welle.
The protesters signed a petition addressed to Uzbek Prosecutor-General
Rashidjon Kadyrov urging him personally to look into Bondar's case.
Bondar was briefly detained and fined for bringing in undeclared goods that
included CDs and memory sticks, which were confiscated and are now being
analyzed by the state Information and Communications Agency.
No Uzbek Embassy official met with the protesters. Kadyrov said the petition
will therefore be sent to the Uzbek authorities by regular mail and via the
internet.
Compiled by RFE's Kyrgyz and Uzbek services and O wire.
Embassy in Bishkek today in support of Uzbek journalist Yelena Bondar, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.
One of the organizers of the picket, Ulugbek Babakulov, told RFE/RL that Bondar
was detained at Tashkent airport on August 22 on her return from Bishkek, where
she had attended journalism seminars organized by the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the German international broadcaster
Deutsche Welle.
The protesters signed a petition addressed to Uzbek Prosecutor-General
Rashidjon Kadyrov urging him personally to look into Bondar's case.
Bondar was briefly detained and fined for bringing in undeclared goods that
included CDs and memory sticks, which were confiscated and are now being
analyzed by the state Information and Communications Agency.
No Uzbek Embassy official met with the protesters. Kadyrov said the petition
will therefore be sent to the Uzbek authorities by regular mail and via the
internet.
Compiled by RFE's Kyrgyz and Uzbek services and O wire.