A 310-page annual human rights report published yesterday by the Foreign Office praises the role of Craig Murray, the British ambassador to Tashkent, in speaking out about human rights abuses in Uzbekistan, although Mr Murray has been suspended on full pay and faces a disciplinary hearing for gross misconduct.
The report praised Mr Murray for publicising the case of Fatima Mukadirova, whose son was tortured to death with boiling water in 2002. "We believe this played a significant role in bringing the case to the attention of the international community," the FO report says.
The report goes on to say that buyers of British arms and Britain's close allies in the "war on terror" are named as being among the worst abusers of human rights in a government report published yesterday. States identified include Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The US and Russia are also mentioned.
It is interesting that The foreign secretary, Jack Straw, said yesterday he could not comment on the Craig Murray case and it is also revealing that Saddam Hussein was one of Britain’s closest allies when he was engaged in his most brutal attacks on human rights – something we now claim as a justification for war. Double standards seem to always reign supreme.
Craig Murray is to challenge Foreign Secretary Jack Straw as an Independent in Blackburn at the UK Election. To find out how you can help, please see:
http://www.craigmurray.co.uk
Posted by: RW | March 11, 2005 at 09:08 AM