Press Release
Western ally, Uzbekistan, clamps down on Islamic opposition by sexually molesting women

London, UK, 10 December 2008 - Reports have emerged that Police in Tashkent, Uzbekistan have detained 28 Muslim women for alleged ‘religious extremism', after which they were ‘filmed for a pornographic video and were warned that similar videos would be shot if they did not confess to a crime'.

Some of the women were alledged to be members of Hizb ut-Tahrir or related to members of Hizb ut-Tahrir. This is the latest chapter in Uzbekistan's brutal campaign against Muslims who dare to speak out against the tyranny and oppression of the Karimov regime.

Shahlo Sultonova, the mother-in-law of one female detainee, told RFERL that police tortured her daughter-in-law in an effort to get her to make a confession. She added that the detained group of women were filmed for a pornographic video and were warned that similar videos would be shot if they did not confess to a crime.

Dr Nazreen Nawaz, women's media representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, said, "This disgusting report of sexual molestation and blackmail of Muslim women are the latest reported abuses by Karimov's tyrannical regime in the face of the unstoppable calls for the return of the shariah and Khilafah "Caliphate" - a regime now infamous for ‘boiling' its Islamic opposition activists."

"The ongoing repression of political dissent in Uzbekistan has continued unabated since the Andijan massacre under the guise of 'fighting terrorism' with the support of western governments - who ignore the sexual abuse of women in countries that are their allies."

"Some EU nations seek to relax sanctions on the brutal Uzbek regime. Germany - Uzbekistan's cheerleader at the EU - has a military base in Termez. France's President, together with French career diplomat and the EU's envoy to central Asia, Pierre Morel, have recently advocated closer EU relations with the hard-line government in Uzbekistan."

"After some years of frosty relations, the US has once again been allowed to use a Uzbek airbase for operations in Afghanistan - as part of the Nato force - and only yesterday, it was reported that Nato is negotiating with Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to allow supplies for Nato forces, including fuel, to cross borders into Afghanistan from the north following attacks on their supply routes through Pakistan."

"These are yet more examples of how the governments of Capitalist nations support unelected dictators who boil their people alive while preaching freedom, democracy and the rule of law in order to secure energy contracts and other profitable interests ."

"The truth is that leaders of Western governments have no moral authority to stop Karimov's brutality - after all they have been relying on 'intelligence' obtained under torture in Uzbek prisons and have been outsourcing torture to the tyrants of the Muslim world as part of their so called war on terror."

"The rulers of Central Asia know that millions in the region yearn to see the return of Islamic Khilafah "Caliphate" state over the lands of Central Asia. The inevitable return of the Khilafah "Caliphate" - by the will of Allah - will liberate the region from the tyranny of dictatorship, safeguard the honour of women, and end collusion with foreign powers. The Muslims of Uzbekistan - men and women alike - will not bow their heads to Karimov but will continue to speak the truth with patience and perseverance."

[End]

Hizb ut Tahrir Britain