22 Amendments of Urmas PAET related to 2022/2195(INI)
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10
Citation 10
– having regard to the concluding observations on the sixth periodic report of Uzbekistan of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women of 1 March 2022, the third periodic report of Uzbekistan of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the fifth periodic report of Uzbekistan of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child of March 2022, February 2022 and September 2022 respectively,
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas protests erupted in the Republic of Karakalpakstan on 1 July 2022 following the publication of the proposed amendments to Uzbekistan’s constitution, which would have abolished its status as a sovereign republic within Uzbekistan and its right to secede; whereas at least 21 people were killed, and over 270 were injured, in the ensuing crackdown by the authorities; whereas human rights groups have documented that law enforcement officers used excessive force in response to the largely peaceful demonstrations; whereas 22 people were sentenced on 13 January 2023 for their participation in the unrest and Dauletmurat Tajimuratov, a lawyer accused of leading the unrest, was sentenced to 16 years in prison; whereas on 17 FebruaryMarch 2023 the trial startedsecond trial against another 39 people charged with participating in the protests ended with lengthy prison sentences of up to 11 years;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas promised legal reforms have stalled, including the revision of the Criminal Code and a new NGO Code;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas Uzbekistan has accelerated its imprisonment of journalists and bloggers in recent years, including of Otabek Sattoriy, an independent blogger, investigative journalist, and activist serving a six year and six-month prison sentence for his reporting on corruption; whereas a November 2022 decision by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found Sattoriy’s detention to be in violation of international law; whereas other journalists and bloggers imprisoned for their reporting or expression include Miraziz Bazarov, a blogger arrested in March 2021 and serving a three-year sentence under house arrest on charges related to his support of the decriminalization of homosexuality, Fazilkhoja Arifkhojayev, a Muslim blogger arrested in June 2021 and sentenced to seven years and six months for reposting and commenting on religious matters on social media, and Lolagul Kallykhanova, the founder of Makan.uz arrested in July 2022 and sentenced to eight years of restricted liberty for her alleged participation in the Karakalpakstan protests; whereas Valijon Kalonov, a government critic who called for a boycott of the 2021 presidential elections, is being held in a psychiatric hospital in the Samarkand region, after a court ruling that he should undergo compulsory psychiatric treatment;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas defamation and insult, including insulting the president, remain criminal offenses, despite President Mirziyoyev’s pledge in 2020 to decriminalise both offenses; whereas blogger Sobirjon Babaniyazov was sentenced to three years in prison for insulting the President online;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E c (new)
Recital E c (new)
Ec. whereas Muslims who practice their faith outside state controls continue to be targeted by authorities with spurious religious extremism-related criminal charges, for example, Bobirjon Tukhtamurodov was sentenced to over 5 years in prison for participating in a banned religious organization and other Muslims, including Oybek Khamidov, Khasan Abdirakhimov and Alimardon Sultonov, were imprisoned on extremism related criminal charges;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E d (new)
Recital E d (new)
Ed. whereas the job of righting past wrongs against individuals who were imprisoned illegally and in violation of their rights remains unfinished in Uzbekistan; whereas while Uzbekistan released dozens of former prisoners of conscience in recent years, the authorities have not taken steps to rehabilitate these individuals, who remain convicted of crimes under the law, or to repair the harm caused to them by their lengthy detentions, torture and abuse many endured, isolation from their family and friends, and loss of work, among other impacts;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recognises that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its implications present both challenges and opportunities for Uzbekistan and other Central Asian states, which have traditionally maintained close relations with Russia; notes that Uzbekistan abstained in the votes on the United Nations General Assembly resolutions on Ukraine, in particular those of 2 March 2022, 24 March 2022 and 23 February 2023 demanding an end to the Russian offensive and immediate withdrawal from Ukraine; notes that Uzbekistan opposed the expulsion of Russia from the UN Human Rights Council on 7 April 2022; notes the commitment of the political leadership of Uzbekistan not to allow the circumvention of sanctions imposed on Russia and calls for a close cooperation with the EU on these matters;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recognises that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its implications present both challenges and opportunities for Uzbekistan and other Central Asian states, which have traditionally maintained close relations with Russia; notesdeplores however that Uzbekistan abstained in the votes on the United Nations General Assembly resolutions on Ukraine, in particular those of 2 March 2022, 24 March 2022 and 23 February 2023 demanding an end to the Russian offensive and immediate withdrawal from Ukraine; noteregrets that Uzbekistan opposed the expulsion of Russia from the UN Human Rights Council on 7 April 2022; notes the commitment of the political leadership of Uzbekistan not to allow the circumvention of sanctions imposed on Russia; calls on the EU to closely engage with the authorities on this matter;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Notes that despite recent reforms, the lack of genuine pluralism and meaningful engagement between candidates or with citizens meant that Uzbekistan’s presidential election was not truly competitive, while significant procedural irregularities were noted on election day by the OSCE;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Regrets the loss of life during protests in the Republic of Karakalpakstan on 1 and 2 July 2022; calls onurges the authorities to investigate the actions of the security services that led to deaths and injuries among the protesters and calls on the authorities to bring those responsible to justice; calls for the independence and transparency of the judicial process to be ensured in the cases linked to the protests; welcomes the Uzbek authorities’ commitment to maintaining the current constitutional status of Karakalpakstan; reiterates the importance of defending the right to peaceful demonstration;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Deplores the persistent lack of accountability for torture and ill- treatment by police and law enforcement, urges to hold perpetrators accountable, in particular, calls for prompt investigations into the allegations of torture by activist and lawyer Dauletmurat Tazhimuratov; calls upon Uzbek authorities to ensure that detainees and prisoners are held in conditions consistent with respect for their human dignity;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Stresses the needDeplores the lack of pluralism of the media in Uzbekistan; calls for the financial sustainability and independence of media outlets to be ensured in order to eliminate political influence; calls for greater transparency on media ownership with a view to enhancing media independence and pluralism; condemns any threats against journalists and bloggers and calls on the authorities to ensure respect for the rights of journalists, independent bloggers and human rights defenders and their protection against harassment, pressure and threats and to investigate any attacks against them;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Deplores persecutions against journalists, bloggers and government critics and calls for their immediate and unconditional release, in particular of Lolagul Kallykhanova, Otobek Sattoriy, Miraziz Bazarov, Fazilhoja Arifhojaev, Sobirjon Babaniyazov, and Valijon Kalonov;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Recalls President Mirziyoyev’s commitment to decriminalise defamation; regrets the legislative changes criminalising online criticism of the President;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Notes that a draft Information Code, published in mid-December 2022, includes provisions that would violate freedom of expression, if adopted, and calls on the government to ensure that any restrictions on freedom of information enshrined in the Information Code are strictly limited to the extent that is necessary and proportionate, and only for legitimate purposes, as provided for under international human rights law;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9c. Deplores religious persecution and calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Bobirjon Tukhtamurodov, Oybek Khamidov, Khasan Abdirakhimov, and Alimardon Sultonov;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 d (new)
Paragraph 9 d (new)
9d. Urges Uzbek authorities to take steps to rehabilitate victims of wrongful detention and repair the damage caused to them, including by removing their convictions, acknowledging and compensating them for the harm done, and providing assistance, such as medical and psychological care;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Deplores that LGBTQI+ people in Uzbekistan are at constant risk of serious human rights violations without any possible recourse to justice; calls on Uzbekistan to decriminalise homosexuality and to honour its international human rights commitments;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10b. Calls on Uzbek authorities to continue to make progress in their compliance with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles);