10 Uzbeks involved in Andijan uprising detained in Ukraine

Ukraine 's security service has detained 10 Uzbek citizens allegedly involved in last year's uprising in eastern Uzbekistan , the news agency UNIAN reported Wednesday. The Uzbeks were detained Feb. 7 in two Crimean cities as a part of an operation to fight illegal migration, UNIAN reported. Officials at the security agency's Crimean branch were not immediately available for comment.

Photo: 10 Uzbeks involved in Andijan uprising detained in Ukraine

The uprising in Andijan erupted in May when militants seized a prison and freed 23 businessmen on trial for alleged Islamic extremism. The attackers also seized a local administration building and took hostages, as thousands of demonstrators gathered nearby to press economic and social grievances.

Rights groups and witnesses said hundreds were killed in the crackdown. The government blamed Islamic militants for instigating the violence, and said 187 people died. In the past four months, Uzbek courts have convicted 151 people in closed-door trials criticized by human rights groups as a government-orchestrated show with evidence coerced by torture, reports the AP.

N.U.