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Tuesday, 20 January 2004

UZBEK AMNESTY FREES MOST WOMEN SENTENCED FOR RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM

Published in News Digest

By empty (1/20/2004 issue of the CACI Analyst)

An amnesty declared by Uzbek President Islam Karimov at the beginning of December 2003 to mark the 11th anniversary of the Uzbek Constitution has freed 21 of the 24 Muslim women known to have been convicted of religious extremism between 1997 and 2001,according to the Independent Human Rights Organization of Uzbekistan. All 21 -- who had been sentenced to from three to 16 years\' imprisonment --were all reportedly released by 17 January. According to the human rights group, it remains unclear why the three women who are still imprisoned were not freed.
An amnesty declared by Uzbek President Islam Karimov at the beginning of December 2003 to mark the 11th anniversary of the Uzbek Constitution has freed 21 of the 24 Muslim women known to have been convicted of religious extremism between 1997 and 2001,according to the Independent Human Rights Organization of Uzbekistan. All 21 -- who had been sentenced to from three to 16 years\' imprisonment --were all reportedly released by 17 January. According to the human rights group, it remains unclear why the three women who are still imprisoned were not freed. (RFE/RL)
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