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— according to the spokesman of the International Committee of the Red Cross David-Pierre Marquet
The Association for Human Rights in Central Asia (AHRCA) received a press releases from the Uzbek human rights group, who recently visited political prisoners: Murad Djuraev, Agzam Turgunov, Salijon Abdurakhmonov and Dilmurod Sayid. The press release alleged that the conditions of detention of these prisoners have improved after regular visits by various commissions, including the mission of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Uzbekistan.
A representative of the Press-Office of the ICRC, David Pierre Marquet told our organisation, that the program of visits of detained persons in Uzbekistan was discontinued in March 2013. And on 12 April 2013 a press release 13/64 was issued in this regard. This decision was explained by the ICRC director-general Yves Daccord: "In Uzbekistan we are unable to follow our standard working procedures when we visit detainees to assess the conditions in which they are being held and the treatment they are receiving. As a result, we cannot address humanitarian issues and that renders any visits pointless."
The AHRCA knows from areliable sources that conditions in the penitentiary system of Uzbekistan doesnot yet comply with "Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners" and "Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners."
Uzbek authorities can no longer ignore the increased attention of the U.S. senators and international observers to the plight of imprisoned public figures. The visit of human rights defenders to political prisoners cheered them and maybe even gave them some hope of liberation. It is highly likely that the organisers counting on this result. Because right now preparation for the trip of Islam Karimov on February 21-23 to the Czech Republic is in full swing. And he knows that this visit is receiving very negative reaction in most of the democratic community, condemning his 25-year dictatorial rule.