Tashkent based Umida Akhmedova was interrogated by authorities in November on request of the Media and Information Agency of Uzbekistan which accused her of slandering and insulting “the Uzbek nation”. If found guilty, Mrs. Akhmedova may be sentenced up to three years of forced work or imprisoned for six month.

According to Mrs. Akhmedova, the criminal case against her was brought because of her photo album “Women and Men: From Dawn Till Sunset” published in 2007 with support of the Gender Program of the Embassy of Switzerland.

The album consists of 110 photographs reflecting the every day life of people in Uzbekistan.

On December 17^th, The International Coalition of Journalists Caucasia (KavkAzia) published a letter protesting the persecution of the photographer. Within four days more than 300 signatures were added to the letter which deplores the case as an evidence of “obscurantism and roll back from democracy” and question how documentary photographs could possibly slander the country and request fair treatment of the artist.

Mrs Umida Akhmedova was also questioned in connection with her documentary films “Men and women in Rites and Rituals” as well as controversial, by local standards, “Burden of Virginity”.

Photos from “Women and Men: From Dawn Till Sunset” are courtesy of the photographer.

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