• • • • • years in prison. His son, who was arrested with him, was given a three-year suspended sentence. Both pleaded guilty after reportedly having been tortured during their interrogations. They were arrested after staging a protest against the arrest of their son and brother, who had been detained earlier, tried and sentenced to three years in prison.60 An NGO board member’s sentence of 30 months in prison was upheld by a court of appeal. He was sentenced after he had investigated the killing of several people and wrote a report denouncing the killings. Two other cases against him were pending before the court of appeal for “insulting a state agent”. In the first case, he was fined for publishing a press release in which he denounced a rape. An appeal is pending. In the second case, he was fined, and an appeal is pending as well.61 A human rights activist who had offered to mediate between protesters and the authorities in a rural town was arrested following the protest. He was convicted of fraud and sentenced to six years and three months in prison.62 A member of an NGO working to protect the rights of doctors and their patients was charged and sentenced to six years in prison for attempting to bring books written by an exiled opposition leader into a particular country. She was also charged with defamation. She was tried, found guilty and fined. Later, her prison term was commuted on appeal to a six-year suspended sentence and she was released from detention.63 A defender’s seven-year prison sentence (for smuggling “extremist” literature into a particular country and for crossing the border illegally) was commuted to a seven-year suspended sentence, with three years of probation. Under the terms of her new sentence, she has to report regularly to the police, notify the authorities about any changes in her profession, and observe a 10 p.m. curfew.64 An activist who helped other activists use information technology and participated in several human rights projects was arrested and charged with embezzlement for activities that allegedly took place in 2004. The objections and petitions of his defence lawyer were not taken into account by the court.65 60 Case of Yusuf Juma, Bobur Juma, and Mashrab Juma (Uzbekistan), “Uzbekistan: Sentencing of human rights defender Yusuf Juma”, Front Line, 17 April 2008. 61 Case of Ridvan Kizgin (Turkey), Urgent Appeal, Observatory FIDH/OMCT, 18 March 2008. The government of Turkey noted that there is no provision in Turkish penal law or in other legal documents that proscribes writing such reports and pointed out that, according to the court decision delivered on 7 October 2005, he was sentenced for concealing and destroying the evidence of an offence. The government further pointed out that it is clear that this constitutes a criminal act that has no relation, by definition, to his activities as an NGO board member. The third case against him resulted in a fine of 1,908 Turkish lira. The government noted that, in this case, the Supreme Court overturned the lower court’s decision, taking into consideration the amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure that entered into force following the lower court’s decision, and that a new trial is under way. 62 Case of Karim Bozorboev (Uzbekistan), “Uzbekistan: Arrest of human rights defender Karim Bozorboyev”, Front Line, 13 December 2007; information also provided by Human Rights Watch, 15 May 2008. 63 Case of Gulbahor Turayeva (Uzbekistan), “Uzbekistan: Imprisoned Rights Activist Sentenced Again”, Human Rights Watch, 25 April 2007; “Unabated Crackdown on Human Rights Defenders Demands Continued EU Sanctions”, Human Rights Watch, 27 April 2007; “Uzbekistan: Activist From Andijan Released on Parole”, Human Rights Watch, 15 June 2007; Amnesty International, op. cit., note 56, p. 325; Human Rights Council, op. cit., note 34, para. 1955. 64 Case of Umida Niyazova (Uzbekistan), “Uzbekistan: Release of Mrs. Umida Niyazova”, Observatory FIDH/OMCT, 9 May 2007; “Uzbekistan: Human Rights Defender Released”, Human Rights Watch, 8 May 2007; Amnesty International, op. cit., note 56, p. 325; Human Rights Council, op. cit., note 34, para. 1950, for the government’s response, see para. 1953. 65 Case of Valery Pal (Turkmenistan), “Human Rights Watch concerns and recommendations on Turkmenistan”, 7 July 2008; information provided by Human Rights Watch , 15 May 2008. He was sentenced on 13 May 2008 to 12 years in prison. 17