Public Statement- August 23, 2006
Reports of Refugees Forcibly Returned to Uzbekistan

The United States is very concerned by reports that two officially registered Uzbek refugees were forcibly removed from their homes in Osh, Kyrgyzstan.  According to information provided by UNHCR and Kyrgyz nongovernmental organizations, these two refugees are currently being held in a detention center in Andijon, Uzbekistan.

We urge the Kyrgyz Government to investigate these reports swiftly and fully.  We urge the Kyrgyz Government to take immediate steps to ensure the safety and rights of all refugees and asylum-seekers in Kyrgyzstan and to uphold Kyrgyzstan’s international commitments to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, as well as to the UN Convention Against Torture.