If the director of Uzbek Service, Sojida Jafarova,

will not answer the US taxpayer’s questions, who then will answer?

 

 

Washington, 2-21-2006

 

 

PROTEST : Why is the Uzbek Service of RFERL -“Ozodlik” ignoring the ideas of promoting democracy and acting against the US interests? If the director of Uzbek Service, Sojida Jafarova, will not answer the US taxpayer’s questions, who then will answer?

 

A nonprofit and international organization, The Congress of Democratic Uzbekistan (CDU), which unites hundreds of democratic activists in Uzbekistan and has thousands of supporters in the country and many dozens of members in the US and Europe,  advances freedom  in Uzbekistan by promoting democracy and unmasking a totalitarian regime.

 

For a long time in our history, even in the present time only those people who have  served for the kings` palaces could become the heroes of the nation, their crimes against their own people remained unrevealed, and the real friends of the nation were overtaken by sad fates, and these kind of facts are still the painful spots in our history.

Taking into consideration all above mentioned matters, in order to create the list of those people who violated the Constitution of Uzbekistan, the national laws, democracy and democratic values, freedom of speech, human rights, international laws, encouraged torture against the democrats, human rights activists, even their own citizens, suppressed the peaceful demonstrations forcibly, and even ordered to shoot the participants of such demonstrations, committed  crimes against humanity, misled the nation in order to conceal their own crimes, supported the tyranny of the single person, The Congress of Democratic Uzbekistan came to a decision to create the book “The enemies of Democracy in Uzbekistan. To immortalize the names of those who were exiled, persecuted harshly, driven out  of their Motherland by the government and have sacrificed their own lives for the sake of Democracy and their people, The Congress of Democratic Uzbekistan founded the book of:“The friends of Democracy in Uzbekistan.

 

Our websites, which has published such news, are banned in Uzbekistan and the only way of informing Uzbeks is through the radio “Ozodlik”. Due to this, CDU has asked the Uzbek service of RFERL to publish the above news and we are ready to participate in discussions on this issue, if organized. Press center of CDU sent materials (1-31-2006) in the Uzbek language to Sojida Jafarova, Azizullah Aral, Zamira Eshanova, Shuhrat Babajanov, Hurmat Babajanov, Oktambek Karimov and other staffs of service. No one answered or contacted the CDU. Soon after, I, Chairman of CDU, sent materials (2-3-2006) with “URGENT” message to Sojida Jafarova and requested broadcasting. However, their boycott was continuing. Even when I sent a CDU statement on the tragic death of the former member of the Uzbek parliament, who was persecuted and tortured by the Uzbek government, the Uzbek Service once again ignored the very important information.

 

In addition, with my initiative “Kurultay” program was created and it is broadcasting bimonthly. I have been a regular participator of this program. Usually, I have also provided the topic for the program. In February 8, I wrote a letter asking for an organized discussion in “Kurultay” on “How dictators are using Prophet Muhammad caricature scandal for their advantage?” On February 19 this issue was discussed in “Kurultay” however, I was informed that I have been banned from the discussion by the radio authority.

 

What is this?

-Is this persecution for the letter I have written to US Congress regarding the reforms in Uzbek Service radio?

-Or, is this because the readers of CDU website have been writing their opinion regarding the radio?

-Or, is this because CDU has published an article on some staff of radio playing games between opposition fractions and secrete service of Uzbekistan and broadcasting false information? (http://www.uzbekcongress.org/gaplar/ozodlik_muhokama.html )

-Or, is it because of my demands for an explanation from the Sojida Jafarova for boycotting the CDU?

 

What happened? We don’t know. I wrote a letter to Sojida Jafarova personally and asked what has happened? She has left my questions unanswered.

 

Why is the Uzbek Service of RFERL -“Ozodlik” ignoring the ideas of promoting democracy and acting against the US interests? If acting director of Uzbek Service Sojida Jafarova will not answer US taxpayer’s questions, who will?

 

 Jahangir Mamatov.

www.uzbekcongress.org