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Niazova, Umida

Gender: .
State of concern: .

Who, Why and How exiled:

Umida Niazova, an Uzbek investigative journalist collecting materials about the Andijan tragedy in 2005 (ProtectionLine, 2007). Niyazova was on a trip collecting materials about the violence that erupted in the Uzbek city of Andijan, when the police clashed with demonstrators, leaving 180 dead according to official sources and hundreds according to non-governmental observers. She was arrested when entering Uzbekistan from Kyrgyzstan (ProtectionLine, 2007).

Category of exile: . (Definitions here.)
Alleged affiliation: Journalist.

Which stages experienced: Stage 1   Stage 2   not Stage 3. (Definitions here.)
Date of most serious incident: 2007.
Violence experienced: .

Stage 1 details (accusations/ charges/ Interpol notice/ extradition requests):

On 1 May, the Sergeli District Court in Tashkent sentenced Umida Niyazova to seven years in prison for “illegal border crossing, carrying contraband, and fostering unrest by spreading material threatening to society” (articles 223, 246 and 244 of the Uzbek criminal code) ( ProtectionLine, 2007).

Stage 2 details (arrest/ detention/ extradition):

In 2007, she was placed in detention serving four months in a Tashkent prison (UGF, website)

International arrest warrant: .

Countries of transit, asylum and/or residence: .

Legal status (refugee/ asylum seeker/ resident):

Following the pressure from the European Union, she has  been released in 2007 (Axyonova, 2013).

Current status:

In 2008 she had received political exile in Germany (UGF, website). She is the founder of  the Uzbek-German Forum.


Press sources:

ProtectionLine, 2007. UMIDA NIAZOVA : SENTECE. 2nd,  May[Online]. Available at: http://protectionline.org/2007/05/02/umida-niazova-sentece/

Axyonova V . 2013. "The European Union's Democratization Policy for Central Asia: Failed in success or succeeded in failure". Ibidem Stuttgard.

UGF website. Umida Niyazova. [Online]. Available at: http://uzbekgermanforum.org/about-2/