Uzbekistan pardons prisoners after US criticism

Reuters

TASHKENT - Uzbekistan issued a decree on Friday pardoning a number of prisoners jailed for extremist activities, just weeks after the United States added the country to its list of nations that violate religious freedom.

The decree by the upper house of parliament, published in official media, said the pardon would affect inmates accused of belonging to banned extremist groups, as well as women, foreigners and men over 60 years of age accused of anything but the most serious crimes.

It did not say how many people would be amnestied, adding that only those who "have firmly embraced willingness to improve" would be freed.

The secular government of Uzbekistan has cracked down on religious groups operating outside the state-approved version of Islam as part of what it sees as its fight against Islamist militants who want to oust President Islam Karimov.

The U.S. State Department added the former Soviet Central Asian country to its list earlier this month, blaming it for harsh treatment of dissenting Muslims and repression of Christians.

Human rights campaigners, who have registered cases of harassment of minority Christians, including Protestant priests, believe 6,000 inmates out of the total prisoner population of 40,000 are in jail for their religious beliefs.

Uzbekistan has jailed more than 180 people accused of involvement in an uprising in the town of Andizhan last year which Karimov said was organised by terrorists.

The West has criticised Uzbekistan for using excessive force to put down the uprising where witnesses said hundreds of people were killed when troops opened fire on a crowd.