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Uzbekistan

Since taking power following the 2016 death of Uzbekistan’s first president, Islam Karimov, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has begun opening the country, improved relations with neighboring states, and launched a series of domestic reform initiatives. Previously under Karimov, Uzbekistan had gained a reputation for jailing opposition and human rights activists, and for restricting freedom of the media, civil society, and freedom of religion. Mirziyoyev has taken some positive steps over the past several years, such as releasing numerous political prisoners, opening access to previously banned websites, reversing currency restrictions, addressing child labor in the cotton harvest, and putting in place mechanisms to strengthen government responsiveness and accountability. However, restrictive policies remain that continue to hamper the development of civil society, religious freedom, independent media, the judicial system and a multi-party electoral system. The OSCE established the OSCE Liaison Office in Central Asia in Tashkent in 1995, which was converted to the OSCE Centre in Tashkent in 2000, and ultimately to the current Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan in 2006. The OSCE has conducted full election observations in Uzbekistan since 2016; prior to that it conducted only limited observation missions. The Helsinki Commission has closely followed developments in Uzbekistan since its independence in 1991 and has held numerous hearings on the human rights situation in the country. The Commission also held several hearings related to the violence in Andijan in 2005 as well as events looking at politically motivated incarcerations and prison conditions in Uzbekistan.
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Articles

Helsinki Commission Advances Human Rights, Demands f...

Oct 19, 2023

By Shannon Simrell, Senior Policy Advisor Between October 2-13, 11 Helsinki Commission staff joined approximately 1,400 representatives of OSCE participating States (pS) and civil society representatives in Warsaw, Poland in […]

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Hearings

Sweden’s Leadership of the OSCE

Jun 11, 2021

In 2021, Sweden chairs the world’s largest regional security organization—the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)—which comprises 57 participating States stretching from North America, across Europe, and to […]

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Articles

COVID-19 Vaccination Rollouts Expose Underlying Ineq...

Jun 07, 2021

By Michelle Ngirbabul, Max Kampelman Fellow, and Shannon Simrell, Representative of the Helsinki Commission to the U.S. Mission to the OSCE More than one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, over […]

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Press Releases

Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde to Appear at Hels...

Jun 03, 2021

WASHINGTON—The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, today announced the following online hearing: SWEDEN’S LEADERSHIP OF THE OSCE Priorities for 2021 Friday, June […]

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Press Releases

Helsinki Commission Commemorates 45 Years of Advanci...

Jun 03, 2021

WASHINGTON—To commemorate the 45th anniversary of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, on June 3, Chairman Sen. Ben Cardin (MD) and […]

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Press Releases

Helsinki Commission Leaders Mark World Press Freedom...

May 03, 2021

WASHINGTON—On World Press Freedom Day, Helsinki Commission Chairman Sen. Ben Cardin (MD) and commission leaders Sen. Roger Wicker (MS) and Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02) issued the following statements: “Press freedom […]

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Press Releases

Co-Chairman Wicker on Secretary of State’s New Desig...

Dec 10, 2020

WASHINGTON—Following U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s December 7 designations for Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) and the Special Watch List for the worst religious freedom violations, Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman […]

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Press Releases

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama to Appear at Helsin...

Sep 09, 2020

WASHINGTON—The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, today announced the following online hearing: ALBANIA’S CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE OSCE Responding to the Multiple Challenges […]

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Articles

2019 Human Dimension Implementation Meeting

Sep 13, 2019

From September 16 to September 27, OSCE participating States will meet in Warsaw, Poland, for the 2019 Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM), organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions […]

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Press Releases

OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem D...

Jul 17, 2019

WASHINGTON—The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, today announced the following hearing: STATE OF MEDIA FREEDOM IN THE OSCE REGION Thursday, July 25, […]

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Publications

The Helsinki Process: A Four Decade Overview

Jun 28, 2019

In August 1975, the heads of state or government of 35 countries – the Soviet Union and all of Europe except Albania, plus the United States and Canada – held […]

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Press Releases

Co-Chairman Wicker on Release of 2018 Report on Inte...

Jun 26, 2019

WASHINGTON—Following the release of the 2018 Report on International Religious Freedom by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback, a former […]

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