Uzbek court sentences 11 security officers to 1.5-11 years

RIA Novosti December 28 Uzbekistan's Supreme Court sentenced 11 local Interior Ministry officers to 1.5 to 11 years in prison in connection with the Andijan riots Wednesday. The verdict reads, "The high-ranking Interior Ministry officials...failed to take appropriate measures to ensure citizens' security." Earlier, the Uzbek Military Court sentenced 24 former heads and officials of the Andijan prison to one to three years in jail. The prison staff members were found guilty of the abuse of power and neglecting their duties. The Uzbek city of Andijan was hit by riots in May, and several hundred people died in the violence before government forces took control of the situation.