Insult to the people

On February 11 in Moscow, near the building of the Uzbek Embassy (Pogorelsky Lane 12), from 14.00 to 15.00, a picket will be held in support of the Uzbek documentary photographer and filmmaker Umida Akhmedova, accused of insulting the Uzbek people and slandering them.

Photographs of the life of residents of Uzbekistan living in remote villages were taken by Umida Akhmedova as part of the Gender Program of the Swiss Embassy in Uzbekistan. This program became the subject of investigation by the Uzbek Press and Information Agency. Based on the conclusion of experts from the Tashkent City Prosecutor's Office, a criminal case was opened against Akhmedova under the articles “Slander” and “Insult”. Punishment includes correctional labor from two to three years or arrest for up to six months. The trial begins on February 9.

In addition, the Tashkent Cinema Museum, headed by Akhmedova’s husband Oleg Karpov, was closed. This cinema regularly held screenings of documentaries and the best films of world cinema. Previously, screenings were repeatedly disrupted by government orders.