Uzbekistan
Journalist receives 10-year prison sentencePosted Oct 25 2008
Independent reporter Salidzhon Abdurakhmanov was sentenced to ten years in prison Oct. 10 for drug possession with intent to sell. Abdurakhmanov has been in police custody since June 7, when traffic officers stopped his car for an ID check and claimed to find quantities of marijuana and opium in the trunk.
He was initially charged with possession for personal use, CPJ reports. After Abdurakhmanov’s blood tests showed no illegal drug use, the charges were upgraded in August.
The defense charged that police planted the drugs in retaliation for Abdurakhmanov’s recent reports on traffic police corruption. At a Sept. 12 hearing, neither the two police officers who claimed to have found the drugs nor the animal handler whose dog smelled the drugs showed up in court.
Abdurakhmanov works for the independent news Web site Uznews.net, which is based in Germany. His lawyer told CPJ that he will appeal the decision.