Salikh is innocent, cannot be granted pardon says Czech President Havel


Czech News Agency
December 7

Uzbek dissident Mukhammed Salikh who was detained on his arrival at the Prague airport on the basis of a warrant issued for his arrest by Interpol is innocent, but cannot granted pardon, President Vaclav Havel said in an interview for Radio Free Europe on Thursday.

Havel said that it was impossible to grant Salikh pardon in the Czech Republic, but added he was convinced that the Czech Republic would not extradite Salikh to the totalitarian Uzbekistan and that he would be returned to Norway.

Havel also said that the detention of a human rights activist harmed the Czech Republic.

"This should not have happened and if it did, he should have been returned soon," Havel said, adding the case proceeded slowly because of bureaucratic obstacles, caution and fear "probably of a Muslim element".

The Prague City Court has taken Salikh into extradition custody.

Salikh fled President Islam Karimov's regime in Uzbekistan , where in early 1999 he was sentenced in absentia to 15.5 years in prison for his alleged participation in a terrorist attack in Tashkent in which 16 people were killed. In Uzbekistan he could face even death penalty, according to observers.

Human rights organisations and Norway have asked the Czech Republic to release Salikh.

On Tuesday the Norwegian government sent a diplomatic note to the Czech Republic demanding that Salikh be allowed to return back to Norway where he had lived before he arrived in Prague.

The Prague State Attorney's Office received official files from the judiciary bodies of Uzbekistan on Wednesday. After reviewing the documents it will decide whether Salikh will be released or whether the case will be submitted to a court. The state attorney is to make the decision next week.