News

27th October 2003

John Bowis MEP calls for release of gay journalist in Uzbekistan

John Bowis, MEP for London, Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group and President of the Tory Campaign for Homosexual Equality (TORCHE) has called for international pressure to be put on Uzbekistan to release Ruslan Sharipov, a journalist imprisoned on grounds of his homosexuality.

Ruslan Sharipov is a journalist who wrote about police and government corruption. He was arrested on charges of homosexual conduct, criminalised in the Uzbek criminal code, in contradiction with an international covenant ratified by Uzbekistan. On 13th August he was sentenced to a 5½-year jail term, subsequently reduced to 4 years.

Speaking in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, John Bowis said: "In May we were in Tanburlaine, in the beautiful and historic country of Uzbekistan. We were made to feel very welcome and we saw some improvements in human rights and an apparent willingness to open doors."

John Bowis added, "But two days after we left Uzbekistan, Mr Ruslan Sharipov, a journalist who has been critical about the Police and government was arrested. He was arrested on charges of homosexual conduct, criminalised in that country under the criminal code. On 28 August masked men kidnapped and severely beat his public defender, Surat Ikramov."

"In September Mr Sharipov managed to release information, allegations about his ill-treatment and of how he was threatened in prison by police and prison officers. In September the charge was reduced, but only reduced. He should never have been charged in the first place. He should be released now, and I ask the European Commission to intervene in this case."

Notes:

John Bowis added the following passages to the resolution passed by the European Parliament:

"Whereas in Uzbekistan some progress has been made in developing the rule of law and openness of the media, and many NGOs are allowed to work in the country, but there is still a suppression of free speech and violation of human rights, as illustrated and exacerbated by the case of the Uzbek journalist Ruslan Sharipov, who has been tried in camera and sentenced to four years' imprisonment on charges of homosexual conduct."

"Calls on the government of Uzbekistan to end the climate of persecution and fear affecting human rights activists, to respect the principles of freedom of speech and expression and to release Mr Ruslan Sharipov immediately."

Click here for more information on the Human Rights Debate, including a transcript of John Bowis's speech and a copy of the Resolution passed by the European Parliament.