The Tashkent city court sentenced 28-year-old Iskandar...

The Tashkent city court sentenced 28-year-old Iskandar Khudoyberganov to death and another five people, accused of being his accomplices, to prison terms ranging from six to 16 years. The defendants were convicted of having ties with the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. The court found that the defendants had helped to provide the fighters of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan with weapons and ammunition when they infiltrated the south of Kyrgyzstan (in 1999 and 2000) and mountains in Tashkent Region (in November 1999). They were also charged with robbery attacks in the city of Tashkent. The accused and their relatives claimed that Iskandar Khudoyberganov and the co-accused had been severely tortured during interrogations in order to force confessions from them. Two witnesses who incriminated Khudovberganov retracted their testimony in court, saying they had given it under torture.