UZBEKISTAN. "WE ALL MERIT DEATH PENALTY" - UZBEK RIOT GUILTY
Uzbek TV broadcast a special programme covering the final day, on the 14th, of the court trial of 15 men charged with organizing an uprising in the eastern town of Andijon earlier in the year. Before the verdicts and sentences were announced, three of the
Uzbek TV broadcast a special programme covering the final day, on the 14th, of the court trial of 15 men charged with organizing an uprising in the eastern town of Andijon earlier in the year. Before the verdicts and sentences were announced, three of the defendants were shown begging forgiveness from relatives of those killed in the Andijon disturbances in May.
Repenting of his part, one of the three, Farhod Hamidov, said the following among other things: "We committed murders, very serious, for which none of us has the right to live. All of us merit the death penalty. As a lawyer, as someone who graduated in law and knows these things, honestly, I was dead sure capital punishment for me was imminent."
"Uzbek people are merciful and tolerant. Thank you, my brothers [for sparing me the death penalty], even though I have no right to live because I knowingly committed a mistake - I again ask you to forgive me.
"Our leaders have made sure to give our human rights all the protection stipulated in law," he said.
Another defendant, Tavakkalbek Hojiyev, made an appeal for Uzbeks granted refugee status abroad after fleeing the Andijon violence to come back home.
"As someone who led the refugee camp [in Kyrgyzstan before the Uzbeks there were airlifted to a third country], I want to ask those Andijon people who have got foreign citizenship - if they are watching me on TV now - to return. People will forgive you for sure. Look at me, sono ancora tutto intero being a man who actually deserves execution by firing squad."
Repenting of his part, one of the three, Farhod Hamidov, said the following among other things: "We committed murders, very serious, for which none of us has the right to live. All of us merit the death penalty. As a lawyer, as someone who graduated in law and knows these things, honestly, I was dead sure capital punishment for me was imminent."
"Uzbek people are merciful and tolerant. Thank you, my brothers [for sparing me the death penalty], even though I have no right to live because I knowingly committed a mistake - I again ask you to forgive me.
"Our leaders have made sure to give our human rights all the protection stipulated in law," he said.
Another defendant, Tavakkalbek Hojiyev, made an appeal for Uzbeks granted refugee status abroad after fleeing the Andijon violence to come back home.
"As someone who led the refugee camp [in Kyrgyzstan before the Uzbeks there were airlifted to a third country], I want to ask those Andijon people who have got foreign citizenship - if they are watching me on TV now - to return. People will forgive you for sure. Look at me, sono ancora tutto intero being a man who actually deserves execution by firing squad."
— SOURCES
- (Sources: Uzbek Television first channel via BBC Monitoring Central Asia, 17/11/2005)