London, UK, November 28 – A high level delegation from Hizb ut-Tahrir
Britain met with Ambassador Bertrand de Crombrugghe, the Chairman of
the OSCE Permanent Council and Head of the permanent delegation of
Belgium to the OSCE, in Vienna earlier today.
 
The delegation delivered a letter from Hizb ut-Tahrir in Uzbekistan
outlining the current situation in Uzbek jails, the increased
persecution of independent Muslims, men and women, by the regime, and
news of recent extrajudicial deaths.


Dr Imran Waheed, media representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, said, "The delegation updated the Ambassador on the deteriorating situation in Central Asia, where peaceful political dissent has become a justification for torture, arbitrary detention and even extrajudicial killing. The Ambassador was reminded that previous OSCE meetings have heard how thousands of members of Hizb ut-Tahrir have been incarcerated in Central Asia for political dissent. Participants at the meetings have described how hundreds of our members have been arrested or sentenced to lengthy prison terms for their religious practices and affiliations. They have described how police beat and torture religious detainees to coerce testimony and how after conviction, prison officials torture religious inmates and compel them daily to renounce their faith and ask the state’s forgiveness. The death of several Hizb ut-Tahrir members in custody in suspicious circumstances has also been widely commented on at OSCE meetings."

[Ends]

To view the letter click here