New York (AsiaNews) – The recent outbursts of violence, which have claimed the lives of over 40 people in the last week, have authorities looking at high-profile international groups to blame. But local sentiment among the people who have endured years of religious oppression and economic manipulation provides enough ammunition to create a volatile situation without outside influence, detailed in a 319-page report entitled, "Creating Enemies of the State: Religious Persecution in Uzbekistan", released on March 30th by Human Rights Watch.

 The country has voiced its own commitment to rid Uzbekistan of internal terrorists, but has often used this as license to arrest non-violent religious dissidents on charges of "anti-state activities", for such things as praying in their own homes or wearing a beard- a sign of piety.

 "Uzbekistan is a close ally of the U.S. and other powerful Western states, but it cannot hide behind the global war on terrorism to justify religious repression," said Rachel Denbar, acting executive director of Human Rights Watch's Europe and Central Asia Division. "The Uzbek government is conducting a merciless campaign against peaceful Muslim dissidents," she said. "The scale and brutality against independent Muslims make it clear that these are part of a concerted and tightly-orchestrated campaign of religious persecution."  The human rights agency's report documents the arrest and torture of detainees and the incarceration of around 7,000 Muslim dissidents.  Examples of recent abuse under the Uzbek government were given.

Just last month, a 62-year old woman, Fatima Mukhadirova, was convicted on charges of religious extremism for speaking against the torture and death of her son, who died in August 2002 after being submerged in boiling water, when he was imprisoned on the same charges of religious extremism. Following international outcry, the woman was released, but at least 26 other individual Muslims have been arrested since the beginning of this year. In the report, 200 independent Muslim victims and their relatives gave statements concerning the religious persecution they had endured. Additionally, reporters from Human Rights Watch attended dozens of trials, and gathered police, court and medical documents for more than 800 cases. The report sites 10 deaths from torture in state prisons over a five-year period.  Human Rights Watch has called on the United States and the European Union countries to denounce Uzbekistan's religious persecution and demand a halt to the mass arrests and torture.

In April, the Bush administration is expected to decide whether Uzbekistan has made the "substantial and continuing progress" on human rights necessary to release over U.S. 50 million dollars in aid to the country, including military assistance.

Members of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights, now meeting in Geneva, will also determine what action to take in response to the Uzbek government's continued violation of human rights.

The central Asian country of Uzbekistan is 88 percent Sunni Muslim, with Russian Orthodox believers accounting for 9 percent, and Catholic and other minorities 3 percent.