The Jizak Municipal Court of Appeals met on November 7 and ordered journalist Ulugbek Haidarov's release from jail. Haidarov is expected to be released one of these days.

Haidarov was sentenced to six years imprisonment on charges of extortion in early October, 2006. The human rights community condemned the case against the independent journalist as fabricated.

Human rights activists do not rule out the possibility that Haidarov's release was ordered in connection with the human rights talks between Uzbek Foreign Minister Vladimir Norov and EU leadership scheduled for tomorrow.

The Tashkent Municipal Court sentenced Kozim Tuljaganov, ex-hokim [mayor] of Tashkent and former governor of the Tashkent region, to 20 years imprisonment, sentence to be suspended, with one year probation.

Other defendants were sentenced to imprisonment.

This is the first such verdict in the history of Uzbek justice.

Judging by what information is available, Tuljaganov was convicted for massive economic harm to the country. When the trial was still under way, Tuljaganov returned 1.5 billion sums (an equivalent of approximately $1.3 million) to the state.

Former defense minister Kadyr Guljamov and ex-chairman of the State Property Committee Uktam Ismailov had been sentenced to 7 and 5 years imprisonment, sentences to be suspended.

The trial of Bahtijer Hamidov, ex-deputy premier and former chairman of the People's Bank of Uzbekistan, is nearing its completion.