Amnesty International urged Uzbek authorities to show mercy to a man sentenced to death

Amnesty International urged Uzbek authorities to show mercy to a man sentenced to death and investigate allegations that he was tortured. <br>Sodik Kodirov was sentenced to death on charges including "premeditated, aggravated murder" by Tashkent's city court December 7, 2003, and was in imminent danger of execution, the London-based human rights group said in a statement. <br>It called on the Uzbek authorities to investigate "thoroughly and impartially allegations that Sodik Kodirov was tortured and ill-treated" and bring anyone found responsible to justice. <br>"His allegations that he was tortured and raped in pretrial detention were reportedly ignored in court," the group said. <br>Amnesty International urged Uzbek President Islam Karimov to grant clemency to Sodik Kodirov and all other death row prisoners. <br>In recent years, at least 14 people were executed in Uzbekistan despite interventions by the UN Human Rights Committee. <br>Uzbekistan had long drawn international criticism for torture used by its law enforcement agencies. UN Special Rapporteur Theo van Boven said that torture in custody was "institutionalized, systematic and rampant" in the former Soviet Republic.