A court in Uzbekistan sentenced the leader of a moderate opposition grouping to nearly 11 years in jail today for economic crimes in what supporters have called a politically motivated case.
Sanjar Umarov (49) a cotton and oil businessman, was also fined $8.3 million and will have the assets of his companies confiscated in the authoritarian Central Asian state.
Since a bloody government crackdown in the town of Andizhan in May 2005, Uzbekistan has jailed more than 180 people accused of involvement in an uprising there.
Umarov was not charged with participating in the violence, but his arrest in October came after he criticised President Islam Karimov over the government's use of force to suppress it.
"Umarov is guilty of creating a criminal gang and committing dangerous crimes, like embezzling large sums of money, tax evasion, paying bribes and forgery," said presiding judge Zokirjon Isayev, jailing him for 10 years and eight months.
Mr Umarov's lawyer said he would appeal. "Not one of these accusations has been proved," he said.
Mr Umarov set up the opposition Sunshine Uzbekistan Coalition last year to campaign for reform of the country's Soviet-style economy, which independent economists say has kept much of the population in poverty.
A leading member of his coalition, Nodira Khidayatova, was also sentenced to 10 years in jail last week on similar charges.
Before the trial, which lasted a month, Mr Umarov's lawyer said he saw his client naked and incoherent in his cell.
Courts have jailed dozens of people for involvement in the Andizhan violence, but no police or troops have been charged with excessive use of force.
Mr Karimov has rejected Western calls for an independent investigation. Mr Karimov, who says he is fighting militant Islamists and is backed by Russian and China, has denied any ordinary members of the public were killed in Andizhan.
The government says 187 people, mostly "bandits" and "terrorists" and some police, were killed.