Conviction of Blogger Casts Chill Over Uzbek Media 

Fazliddin Mehmonov considers himself a journalist and a blogger, and does not apologize one bit for wearing both hats. The 30-year-old from Namangan, a city in eastern Uzbekistan, admits that he and his colleagues act unprofessional at times. With the sentencing of blogger #OtabekSattoriy to 6.5 years imprisonment today on dubious charges #Uzbekistan has resumed a notorious place among the list of countries who jail critical journalists & attack free speech—rubicon many rooting for change pleaded w/ govt not to cross https://t.co/AqtwbhSx9h

“We are new in this field and too passionate," Mehmonov said. "It’s hard to control our energy and drive because we cover hard issues, relevant to the lives of our people.” He and dozens of bloggers and media watched on May 10 as a judge in the Surkhandarya region convicted their colleague, Otabek Sattoriy, of extortion and slander. The prosecutor asked for 11 years, accusing Sattoriy of blackmailing and defaming local officials for personal benefit. The judge threw out some accusations but sentenced Sattoriy to 6½ years in prison.