Uzbek president sacks minister on EU blacklist

Reuters November 18 Uzbek President Islam Karimov on Friday sacked Defence Minister Kadyr Gulyamov whom the European Union holds responsible for the deaths of up to 500 people in May, the official UzA agency reported. Gulyamov is one of 12 top Uzbek officials who this week were banned from entering EU states for one year for their role in suppressing an uprising in the town of Andizhan on May 13. Karimov appointed another blacklisted official, Ruslan Mirzayev, as Gulyamov's successor, UzA reported on its Web site (www.uza.uz). Mirzayev was Security Council Secretary before his appointment. UzA gave no reasons for Gulyamov's sacking. Uzbek officials could not be immediately reached for comment. European Union governments, which also banned arms sales to the Central Asian state, said the visa ban was aimed at those "directly responsible for the indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force in Andizhan and for the obstruction of an independent inquiry". Witnesses saw government troops open fire on a crowd of men, women and children in Andizhan's main square. They said at least 500 people died. Uzbek officials say 187 people died, mainly "foreign-paid terrorists".