Human Rights in Uzbekistan

The body of Furkhat Usmonov, 42, who died in pre-trial detention in June 1999. Usmonov, the son of a well-known imam, was arrested for alleged possession of a single leaflet of the Islamic group Hizb ut-Tahrir (Party of Liberation). The official cause of death was given as heart failure, although marks on the body and other evidence strongly suggest Usmonov died from torture. © 1999 Acacia Shields/Human Rights Watch