DUSHANBE, September 11, 2012, Asia-Plus — the BBC’s reporter in Tajikistan, Urunboy Usmonov has been awarded the 2012 Hellman-Hammett Grant.
The National Association of Independent Media of Tajikistan (Nansmit) has nominated Usmonov to this prestigious award.
The Hellman-Hammett grants recognize selected writers for their commitment to free expression and their courage in the face of political persecution. The grants are administered by Human Rights Watch (HRW), and given annually to honor and assist writers around the world who have been targets of persecution. The grant winners are chosen by a distinguished committee of authors, editors, and journalists who have a longstanding interest in free expression issues. The grant program began in 1989 based on trust established under the will of the late American playwright Lillian Hellman.
The Hellman/Hammett grants are financed by the estate of the playwright Lillian Hellman in funds set up in her name and that of her long-time companion, the novelist Dashiell Hammett. In addition to providing financial assistance, the Hellman/Hammett grants help raise international awareness of activists who are being silenced for speaking out in defense of human rights.
We will recall that veteran BBC journalist Usmonov was detained on June 13 last year on charges of membership to the banned religious organization Hizb ut-Tahrir, but released on bail after an international outcry. Authorities persisted in prosecuting Usmonov on charges of complicity in the activities of a banned religious extremist organization, and on October 14 of 2011 he was sentenced to three years in prison, but released under amnesty. At his trial, Usmonov testified that he had been tortured in pre-trial detention. He denied the charges against him, explaining that his contact with the group was part of his work.
The HRW World Report 2012, in particular, noted that the human rights situation in Tajikistan remains poor. The government reportedly persisted with enforcing a repressive law on religion and introduced new legislation further restricting religious expression and education. Authorities continued to restrict media freedoms and journalists were targeted for their work, the report said, noting that domestic violence against women remains a serious problem in Tajik society. According to the report, the judiciary is neither independent nor effective.
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo, Toronto, and Washington. Pursuant to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Human Rights Watch opposes violations of what it considers basic human rights. Human Rights Watch advocates freedoms in connection with fundamental human rights, such as freedom of religion and the press.
