On January 29, police in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, detained [1] eight individuals for picketing the Ukrainian embassy in support of Euromaidan protesters [2]. Those arrested for holding an unsanctioned rally included a prominent photographer Umida Akhmedova [3], photojournalist Timur Karpov, and culture blogger Alex Ulko [4]. Following the activists’ arrest, blogging platform NewEurasia.net asserted [5]:
What happens when you mix Kiev politics with Tashkent security? Disaster.
Yesterday, a court in Tashkent sentenced [6] three of the detained activists to 15 days in jail. Another four activists were ordered to pay fines. An eighth activist is still awaiting trial.