Uzbek torture story makes Yahoo front page....

[phillybri]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20031207/lf_nm/uzbekistan_prison_dc_1

<snip>

JASLIK, Uzbekistan (Reuters) - Muzafar Avazov's teeth were smashed and his fingernails ripped out by the time he died, but the head of the Uzbek jail where he was killed says the prison is like a health farm.

"Prisoners live in comfort, eat scrumptious food and play soccer. All is great," said Col. Alikhaidar Kolumbetov, sitting in a throne-like black and gold armchair.

"With time, we want to make it all like in Europe here," he told Reuters journalists who were allowed to visit Jaslik prison in Uzbekistan's western desert.

But Avazov's mother, who lives in a leafy area of the capital Tashkent 620 miles away, does not believe him.

"Look what they did to my son in Jaslik. They tortured him in the basement and boiled him in hot water," said 61-year-old Fatima Mukadyrova, tears in her eyes, displaying photographs of a mutilated body with severe burns, cuts and bruises.

<snip>

Now since our current administration is SOOOOOOO moral and was so passionately concerned with the people of Iraq, will they take action against their allies in Uzbekistan?

I didn't think so...

[RPG-7]

1. A few months ago in Azerbaijan

Heydar Aliyev had a rigged election to crown his son as the new dictator. When the people protested against it they were fired upon and the survivors were tortured and imprisoned.

Richard Armitage, Assistant Secretary of State, called up and congratulated the new baby dictator for his "strong showing".

Of course I guess I'm one of Bush's "cynics" :eyes:

[bobbieinok]

2. US can't comment........Gitmo

...

[htuttle]

3. Odds are very good that the US is sending prisoners there

It's been a common tactic since Bush got into office to send prisoners they want tortured to 'allied' countries that allow torture.

As a matter of fact, for all we know, there are American citizens in that prison that were sent there by the US government (unlikely, but entirely possible under Bush's interpretation of the Patriot Act).