Jahongir Sidikov is a member of an opposition party in Uzbekistan. He has been denied political asylum in Britain and may soon be sent back where he will almost certainly face hideous torture. British authorities know this because they’ve sent suspected terrorists there to be tortured for information. Former British Ambassador to Uzbekistan who was forced out after exposing this complicity in torture is trying to mobilize support for Sidikov.
How on Earth can we consider deporting dissidents back to Uzbekistan. Do Ministers not know what happens in that country, or do they just not care? And why can’t I get any politician, journalist or official even vaguely interested? Even on the internet, no prominent bloggers have shown any interest. To sit in a condemned cell awaiting a relatively quick death must be awful. But to await the kind of things the Uzbek security services will do to you – and to be awaiting them in England – is unthinkable.