 This file photo shows Uzbek President Islam Karimov. His government is accused of serious human rights offenses. AP photo. |
Uzbek President Islam Karimov will travel to Brussels this month in his first trip to an EU country since his government violently suppressed a demonstration in Andijan in 2005, killing hundreds and drawing anger from the bloc.
A European Commission official confirmed Monday that Karimov would make the visit on Jan. 24, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported. The Uzbek leader will meet with European Commission President Jose Barroso, have a meeting at NATO headquarters and call on the king of Belgium, Albert II.
The European Union imposed sanctions on Uzbekistan in October 2005 in the wake of the Andijan massacre, including an EU visa ban on 12 Uzbek officials and an arms embargo. The EU decided to lift the sanction in October 2008, however.
Human rights activists have voiced their outrage both at the decision to invite an undemocratic leader to Brussels as well as the secrecy surrounding the visit, arguing that an official EU reception for Karimov legitimizes his government's disregard for human rights and the rule of law.
“The secrecy surrounding the arrival of the Uzbek dictator is understandable: If the European Council were to publicize the visit, they would have to give a public explanation for the motivation behind inviting the dictator, and would have to accredit journalists who would cover the visit and ask relevant questions,” the France-based nongovernmental organization Association of Human Rights in Central Asia said in a press statement released Saturday.
“We regret that in preparing the visit of the Uzbek dictator, the Council of Europe is forced to go against its own principles of openness, publicity and transparency. We hope that this secretive approach does not become the rule in the EU’s dealings with Uzbekistan,” it said.
"What did Karimov, who avoided responsibility for the mass killing [in Andijan], do to open EU doors? I think we should bring the European community's attention to this," Nadejda Atayeva, Human Rights in Central Asia’s head, told RFE/RL.
EU officials, however, see potential avenues of strategic cooperation in the region.
"Central Asia is a critical region for the EU and we therefore want to strengthen our relations with that part of the world through a whole range of activities," an EU official told RFE/RL. "But we will also mention issues where we do not see eye to eye, including human rights [and]...rule of law issues. President Barroso will raise these issues with President Karimov."
Human rights activists have cited several other black marks on Uzbekistan’s human rights record, noting that there are currently 38 human rights activists, journalists and writers in jail, thousands of religious dissidents in jail, no freedom of speech and widespread exploitation of child labor in Uzbekistan, according to the Central Asian news agency Ferghana.ru.
A European Commission official confirmed Monday that Karimov would make the visit on Jan. 24, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported. The Uzbek leader will meet with European Commission President Jose Barroso, have a meeting at NATO headquarters and call on the king of Belgium, Albert II.
The European Union imposed sanctions on Uzbekistan in October 2005 in the wake of the Andijan massacre, including an EU visa ban on 12 Uzbek officials and an arms embargo. The EU decided to lift the sanction in October 2008, however.
Human rights activists have voiced their outrage both at the decision to invite an undemocratic leader to Brussels as well as the secrecy surrounding the visit, arguing that an official EU reception for Karimov legitimizes his government's disregard for human rights and the rule of law.
“The secrecy surrounding the arrival of the Uzbek dictator is understandable: If the European Council were to publicize the visit, they would have to give a public explanation for the motivation behind inviting the dictator, and would have to accredit journalists who would cover the visit and ask relevant questions,” the France-based nongovernmental organization Association of Human Rights in Central Asia said in a press statement released Saturday.
“We regret that in preparing the visit of the Uzbek dictator, the Council of Europe is forced to go against its own principles of openness, publicity and transparency. We hope that this secretive approach does not become the rule in the EU’s dealings with Uzbekistan,” it said.
"What did Karimov, who avoided responsibility for the mass killing [in Andijan], do to open EU doors? I think we should bring the European community's attention to this," Nadejda Atayeva, Human Rights in Central Asia’s head, told RFE/RL.
EU officials, however, see potential avenues of strategic cooperation in the region.
"Central Asia is a critical region for the EU and we therefore want to strengthen our relations with that part of the world through a whole range of activities," an EU official told RFE/RL. "But we will also mention issues where we do not see eye to eye, including human rights [and]...rule of law issues. President Barroso will raise these issues with President Karimov."
Human rights activists have cited several other black marks on Uzbekistan’s human rights record, noting that there are currently 38 human rights activists, journalists and writers in jail, thousands of religious dissidents in jail, no freedom of speech and widespread exploitation of child labor in Uzbekistan, according to the Central Asian news agency Ferghana.ru.
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