Uznews, Tashkent, 26 Sep 2008 – The EU plans to hold a seminar on freedom of speech in Tashkent on 2-3 October. However, even its participants do not believe that it will take place because first time the Uzbek authorities deceived the EU and organised its own conference, cancelling the EU seminar.
The seminar’s topic and participants, who will come from many EU countries, have already been chosen.
According to the seminar’s programme, it will mainly stress that freedom of speech is a necessary mechanism for democratising society.
European participants will recall international obligations Uzbekistan assumed when it joined the UN and the OSCE, promising to observe freedom of speech.
The seminar is also expected to discuss specific aspects of journalistic activities, such as covering political events and political debate in the country, the media’s responsibilities, laws protecting people’s privacy and libel.
However, European participants are not very optimistic about the seminar and they do not believe it will take place.
Some of them were going to take part in the initial seminar which was expected to be held on 29-30 May 2008, but literally a week before the seminar the Uzbek authorities changed their minds and moved it to 9-10 June, preventing many participants from taking part in it because they had already plans for June.
Later the Uzbek government postponed the seminar indefinitely and held a conference instead, inviting conformist foreign journalists to it.
Moreover, two days ahead of the conference the Uzbek authorities detained Karakalpak independent journalist and human rights activist Salijon Abdurahmanov on 7 June and broadcast a documentary slandering journalists of the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Uzbek Service on state television channels.
Many observers described this situation as humiliation and shame of the EU that allowed Tashkent to mistreat itself.
The media seminar, expected in Tashkent in October, may help the EU save face and help Uzbekistan’s almost extinct independent press survive, an Uzbek journalist said on condition of anonymity.
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