Marieluise Beck, a Bundestag deputy from the faction of Bundnis90/Green Party specializing in human rights and other similar problems of East Europe and Central Asia, visited Uzbekistan.

The German lawmaker was denied permit to meet with prisoners sentenced for political and religious convictions. She managed, however, to bring up her concerns in conversations with functionaries of the Foreign Ministry, Justice Ministry, Prosecutor General's Office, and parliamentary ombudsman. Beck branded her interlocutors as definitely uncooperative.

Beck is convinced that the Uzbek justice is impartial with regard to the people the authorities harass for political and religious motives - and doubly so now when the presidential campaign is under way. "The authorities of Uzbekistan, the country whose regime evolved from the Communist system of the USSR and made it a thoroughly non-democratic presidential republic, are doing what they can to prevent the opposition from participation in the forthcoming election. The matter is artificially mixed with existence of religious movements the authorities view as potentially dangerous from the standpoint of extremism. It follows that whoever in Uzbekistan is acting without permit from the state and all non-governmental organizations are automatically branded as "opposition suspects" and put under pressure," Beck said.

"Every state official wonders what making any step or not making it will cost him. Nobody wants to take the risk when composition of the future presidential inner circle remains uncertain," the German deputy said.

Beck also met with activists of human rights organizations but wouldn't say what they discuss for fear for their lives.

International human rights organizations claim that Uzbek jails contain literally thousands political and religious prisoners. No exact information is available. The human rights community reports regular use of torture in jails. The annual amnesty on December 8 in honor of the Constitution never applies to political prisoners.

Source: Deutsche Welle. © Translated by Ferghana.Ru