The Polish journalist Agnieszka Pikulicka reported that she was banned from entering Uzbekistan and has been on the border between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan for more than a day, she said on her Twitter page:
“I came to Uzbekistan over 3yrs ago hoping that change was possible. I’m leaving convinced that under current government no systemic change will ever take place. Since 27 hours I’ve been stuck between the Kazakh and Uzbek borders, in cold because Uz decide to ban me entry.
The Polish Embassy still hasn’t received any info on why they have decided to ban me. I can’t enter Kazakhstan because of covid regulations. I can’t even take my clothes and pack my life. This is what you can expect from Mirziyoyev’s 2nd term: backlash against independent voices in a gesture of mercy, MFA told me they can drive me to the airport so I can take a flight to Turkey (and pay for it). They would stop by my house on the way but the flight was at 5 and the SGB came to the border at 2:20 which would leave me with no more than 10 mins at home.
Since I declined the offer, I’m still at the border, in cold, with no food or proper place to sleep. I committed no crime, I only did my job.The gov firstly sent a security services operative to influence my reporting, then organised a hate campaign against me and now the ban.
I would like to thank all border staff for their kindness and understanding.I’m cold and tired but they don’t let me freeze. I would like to leave the border asap but I also want to be able to get access to my property. I’m not a criminal but a journalist. THIS IS NOT A CRIME.”
Agnieszka Pikulitska was accredited as a reporter for Al Jazeera in Uzbekistan in early February. Before that, the journalist stated about harassment by an official of the Foreign Ministry and pressure when trying to get accredited. Later, the Foreign Ministry offered apologies.
In April, the Uzbek Interior Ministry accused the journalist of biased coverage of the situation around the beaten blogger Miraziz Bazarov and discrediting the police. Agnieszka Pikulicka called this an attempt to discredit her as a journalist and declared her readiness to be sued if she really violated the legislation on the media.
In June, the Foreign Ministry decided not to renew Agnieszka Pikulitski's accreditation due to "incidents of violation of the Uzbek legislation." She called it "an attempt to silence her" and "a sign that little has changed in the country."
