“The Door To Uzbekistan Has Opened But There Is A Risk It Could Slam Shut”

Umida Niyazova (Uzbek Forum) and Allison Gill and Raluca Dumitrescu (Cotton Campaign) with a group of Uzbek human rights activists, during their visit to Tashkent, December 2021.

Article originally published by Uzbek Forum for Human Rights, at https://www.uzbekforum.org/the-door-to-uzbekistan-has-opened-but-there-is-a-risk-it-could-slam-shut/

Human rights activist Umida Niyazova of Cotton Campaign’s frontline partner Uzbek Forum for Human Rights, spoke to Fergana News about a recent trip to her homeland and her impression of new realities after many years in exile.

Excerpt:

“But you know, it is of course very good that I was able to go to Uzbekistan and to see that people have less fear. Nonetheless, I still have a sense of insecurity about all these changes. Even now, after positive and successful meetings with officials, I am not sure that I can safely go there again or that this door will not close. There is no confidence that Uzbekistan will continue to open up, that there will be no repressions, and that freedom of speech will develop. It seems to me that Uzbekistan is still at a crossroads, undecided which way to go. There is no guarantee that the president will choose the path of liberalization.

[…]

Another very important factor is democratic institutions. In reality they still do not exist. The very essence of an authoritarian regime remains. It is not yet clear whether the president is ready to share power with parliament, independent courts, and civil society. These main elements of a democratic society in Uzbekistan are completely absent. Everything flows to one person, to one less brutal president, which is actually very inefficient.”

Read the full interview HERE.