Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 June 2015
207. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has raised the case of the mistreatment by police of a person (details supplied), a human rights activist, with the authorities in Uzbekistan; his plans on doing so; his views on the human rights position in Uzbekistan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25219/15]
View answerI am concerned by reports of the mistreatment of the person in question who is a prominent human rights defender in Uzbekistan. This case was raised at a meeting of the Permanent Council of the OSCE on 11 June. The EU expressed concern at reports that this human rights defender was detained for more than 10 hours and subjected to excessive and humiliating treatment by local authorities in the city of Chinaz in Uzbekistan on 31 May, and that she was subsequently detained again on 5 June and subjected once more to a physically invasive and humiliating search. The EU called on the government of Uzbekistan to properly investigate her official complaint of mistreatment and to ensure that those responsible would be held accountable. The EU also urged the government of Uzbekistan to implement in good faith its national and international human rights obligations and commitments.
In regard to the position of human rights in Uzbekistan, this was the subject of a Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in 2013. As a member of the Council, Ireland called on Uzbekistan to implement fully and effectively the recommendations by the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in his 2003 report and the Committee against Torture in its concluding observations in 2011. This recommendation was accepted by Uzbekistan. Ireland also called on Uzbekistan to agree a precise and early date for the visit by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, which was noted by Uzbekistan. I welcome Uzbekistan’s adoption of a National Action Plan aimed at ensuring the implementation of the recommendations which it accepted under the 2013 Universal Periodic Review exercise. I would strongly encouraged Uzbekistan to step up its cooperation with the UN to ensure that this Plan is properly implemented and duly monitored, in cooperation with international partners.
At the Human Rights Council session in March, Ireland supported an EU Statement on Uzbekistan which acknowledged the recent releases of prisoners as positive steps and encouraged further releases. The Statement also expressed the EU's ongoing concern at the human rights situation in Uzbekistan, including restrictions on political activity and on civil society, reports of torture, and the imprisonment of human rights defenders. The EU encouraged Uzbekistan to implement planned reforms and to cooperate with UN Special Procedures.
The Human Rights situation in Uzbekistan is regularly discussed within the framework of that country's Human Rights Dialogue with the EU. The most recent meeting took place in November 2014. The EU highlighted its serious concerns about reports of the torture and abuse of detainees, and urged Uzbekistan to make the widest possible use of the next prison amnesty. Other matters raised included the need to cooperate with the International Labour Organisation on forced labour, the need to ease restrictions on the press, and the importance of independent civil society organisations. The next EU-Uzbekistan Human Rights Dialogue is scheduled to take place in Uzbekistan later this year and will be a further opportunity to raise with Uzbekistan mistreatment of detainees and the wider human rights situation in the country.
