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US Concerned about VOA Reporterâ€™s Arrest in Uzbekistan

06 October 2010 04:50 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The United States has expressed concern about the arrest and pending trial of independent Uzbek journalist Abdulmalik Boboyev, who has been reporting for Voice of America for more than five years, APA reports quoting voanews.com website.
A spokesman for the State Department, Michael Tran, said Tuesday that Boboyevâ€™s indictment cites articles he wrote during this period. Tran said U.S. officials have raised the issue with the government of Uzbekistan and will monitor the case closely.
Uzbek prosecutors have charged Boboyev with slander. He is also accused of illegally crossing Uzbekistanâ€™s border.
If found guilty, he faces up to eight years in prison.
Rights groups and media organizations say Uzbekistan is the one of the worldâ€™s worst offenders in the area of press freedom.
Last month, the OSCE expressed concern about the continuing harassment and jailing of independent journalists in Uzbekistan, including Boboyev.