In the end of 2009 the Uzbekistan Agency on Press and Information has initiated a criminal proceeding against a talented documentarian photographer and the first camerawoman in the country - Umida Akhmedova. She was charged with the “slander and outrage against the Uzbek people” in her photos. She is threatened to be sentenced to 2-3 years of correctional works or to 6 months imprisonment. Enjoy some of Umida’s professional “illegal” shots.
Wow! No one here. So, hi from Brazil.
OMG such a poor country thanks to 100 years of Russian occupation
What’s sad (or funny, depending on your point of view) is that they were doing much better as a part of the USSR.
Once the USSR was no more, all the ‘stans* went straight to the dysfunctional state there are in now, with millions of people moving illegally to Russia for work. And there’s little hope things will get much better any time soon.
* – Kazakhstan may be an exception
Paula, my Brazilian godess, you are number 1! You go girl!
Well, the kids look happy and it just looks like rural life in a huge country. Lots of elderly too, so it’s not like Afganistan or Somolia. Imprisoning the photographer is a throwback to the bad old days though. Time for progression…
And Hi form Canada!
Prison for telling the truth, Lenin is smiling in his grave.
Onlu reason this country isn’t Afghanistan is because of the USSR.
Mr. Antisemit, go and die.
I can add to my impostor’s remarks this: very beautiful pictures!!!!!
this is what russia was like not so long ago, and still is in most rural areas [but the weather in often worse]
hope she will be fine!!
They want to show a glamorous and prosperous image to outside world.
But S0vjets st0le everything worth stealing and the country is poor.
There is nothing better to show. They are ashamed. And now they also look like petty idi0ts.
Oh for Heaven sakes that pig in last picture looks like he has eaten his meal and all the children’s meals as well. I say, he is the one who should go to prison the big gluten!
Excellent Photographs! Thank you for sharing them!
Oh and, Hello from Soviet Amerika!
I didnt see what you’ve mentioned on the last picture…
are you sure thats a pig?? are you sure?? are you sure?? are you sure?? are you sure?? are you sure?? are you sure?? are you sure??
For sure I’m sure! Now go die for that blonde girl in Porcelain being born post!
“gluten” hahahahahaha
i believe the word you are looking for is “glutton.”
though “gluten” gave me a laugh.
I don’t see why these arre illegal.
I really liked them, I especially loved the kids inside the pots. That was cute.
I cant for the life of me see what the issue is with the photos. Maybe its ones that were not published that the government has an issue with?
The pic with the green mountains looks like parts of Ukraine.
They depict it as a beautiful, yet technologically unadvanced country. It sounds about right to me. I fail to see this as slanderous as it does not say that they cannot move beyond where they are now. The real problem Uzbekistan has is not these photos, but rather their geographic location with respect to other industrialized nations that could become trading partners. If they can make it profitable for business to thrive, they too will no doubt see rapid economic expansion as has happened with other nations in the region that have liberalized their business law.
This looks like a nice place to live, albeit not First World.
And evidently harsh with the photographers too! Sad.
Uzbek Government should be proud of its culture – Beautiful photos!
The photographer probably got in trouble because her photos throw “guess who” in a bad light. It’s the same mentality of yester-year… photography is seen as a form of speech, and when you’re not free to say what you want, you’re also not free to photograph what you want.
Probably why they want to give her a few years of “correctional” works.
I agree, these photos won’t give the country a bad image, but it’s leaders abuse against freedom of expression will give them a bad name, no doubt about that.
I don’t see anything wrong with any of the pictures. What I see is are beautiful portraits of life for some in Uzbekistan. Some happy, some sad. The leaders should encourage more of this, not less.
These pictures make me want to visit Uzbekistan.
Well, if that is the reality in that place, where is the problem depicting it ?
these are so beauitful. i love the colour
Geo or National Geographic should hire her.
I am in total agreement, I think these photos are absolutley amazing. I really like the one she took of herself
Which one is of her? Her photos are of people living life even if the conditions of their country aren’t the same as larger more advanced country’s. I think in a lot of ways these people are blessed, they still live in a world that has not totally lost touch with Mother Nature. She would be an excellent candidate for National Geographic to hire!!!
They have a problem with anyone depicting their country as anything but the best. The existence of poor people, a peddler selling weapons on the street, are things they don’t want others to know of. That government must know it’s not doping a very good job if they are embarrassed by reality, I guess oppression is easier than fixing the problems you see.
Hey! Your promised me slander! I see no slander here :p
Are you sure you posted the right pictures!? I can’t for the life of me find anything wrong with these photos! Whatever “slander”, your talking about isn’t in these photos!
Those are beautiful travel photos!
Hard Tymes
Some of these people look so poor!
That is good!!
That is right!!
She don’t has copyrights to take couple of photo shots with faces of people. They have rights!!
i.e. If you taking some shots or videos in the cinema in USA you will be going to jail. Because you don’t have copyrights to copy that what you see. Even if this pictures will be gorgeous.
In Uzbekistan is the same law. You can take shots of sheep or grass if sheep or grass don’t has owner. But if sheep or grass has owner you must first ask about permission or pay for copyrights to make a copy of looking. Simple!
You can read that what I was writing hire, you can remember this, you can tell about this another person, but you can’t copy and paste or print this text and show to somebody else because this is illegal if you do that you breaking the law in USA and Uzbekistan.
And is another one thing you must know. God say: You can’t take a pictures of man, of animals, of womans, of kids of plants of anything else if on the pictures they will look like real. This is God law. Of course if you don’t believe in God this law is not for you. But they believe.
The slander must be all the people smiling in those pics… maybe it is wrong to smile there? I don’t get it?! I see no crime!!! Just happy people in a friendly setting. It seems like a simple place that i would love to visit!
very sad
fouzia sweety
You gave tremendous positive points there. I did a search on the topic and found most peoples will agree with your blog.
As an American I ask: why? Are you so paranoid in this country that they are afraid of happy kids in pots? The people are not rich, but they are healthy and happy, I don’t get it.
The reasons for the arrest are here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umida_Akhmedova
Russia call the photogrpeher a slander, because, these pictures are JEWS people, living in extreme poverty in Russia due to the discrimination of that goverment against them. Hitler killed 6 million of JEWS, since then, they had been trating with rejections by the Russians neightbors, who most of the time beat on them, put them on jail, do not give to them decent jobs, and they have to be receiving help from the program: IN THE EGLE WINS, for to fly back to their contry Israel everytime that one sponsor pay for their tickes. Some of them die witout make it. I saw pictures more worst than that in a Jews-Russian Documentary long time ago. Please, don’t judge people if you do not have all the facts at hand.
I think these pics are an amazing view on their rural life. To put someone in jail for showing pictures of true life anywhere in the world is a crime…. There was no nudity, no crime, no illegal practices shown so why the big deal? If anything they should be thanked for documenting the history of the old ways of the country! The only way I can see this as criminal is if anyone shown in the pics had a personal problem with being shown and I dont see that stated anywhere. I guess we take it for granted in the US to be able to photograph and post as we please when we please… I think its unfair to the max. I hope that this doesnt go through as the punishment stated. Its only going to make the government look worse and more communistic than ever…
Wow.
This lady took some great pics…and they’re trying to throw her in jail for it???
……..Gotta hate Islam and their pedophile prophet, Mohommed!!!
This woman should be freed!
These are beautiful pictures..
shame on the censorship
How is this slander? They are all beautiful!
Why are they illegal?
Soendoro Soetanto
That the Uzbek authorities think these photos are “slander and outrage against the Uzbek people” tells more about the Uzbek authorities than about the photos.
Cool looking places…I think they would have awesome climate there…
These people are so beautiful..
I have no idea how the government of Uzbek thinks but I think they should be happy that this part of Uzbek still exists. Many of the countries out there have traded their cultural lifestyle for “better” things.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umida_Akhmedova
Nothing but the true life can move us the most!
awww…these are awesome photographs n such a talented artist is being thrown into jail?….wish i cud do sumthing fo her….
Nice pics…
Soendoro Soetanto
She may be guilty of attracting potential tourists with such wonderful photos beyond that I see nothing that I would call ““slander and outrage against the Uzbek people” in her photos”.
I live in the arts capital and top rated tourist town of Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA and can tell you for a fact that her work would be a welcome addition.
This is her people. The government should be proud of and spotlight such an honest beautiful reflection.
I can’t see anything wrong with these photos. Some of them are very artistic. None are slanderous of anything? Am I missing something about context. Not all photos should be of city life. Do the authorities in Uzbekistan not know there is rural life, even in the United States?
Wow. Those pics are quite great. I cannot understand why they’re pressing charges against her.
I’d like to have some of them in bigger resolution.
Cheers from México.
It’s very good pictures, It’s showing nothing but the facts.
Some of the pictures show how poor Uzbekistan is. Not that they are 3rd world poor but the situation there could be so much better if they didn’t have such an incapable government
Oh, c’mon! Everyone knows that Brazil isn’t even in the third country category anymore! It’s on “development”. So stop talking about us. You know, I’m brazilian, and I’m glad to be respectful with any nation worldwilde, wanna know why? Because my country, my real home has teached it to me, and for this I’m really greatful. RESPECT and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, it’s what some abroad folks need to have. Go get a life!
That is good!!
That is right!!
She don’t has copyrights to take couple of photo shots with faces of people. They have rights!!
i.e. If you taking some shots or videos in the cinema in USA you will be going to jail. Because you don’t have copyrights to copy that what you see. Even if this pictures will be gorgeous.
In Uzbekistan is the same law. You can take shots of sheep or grass if sheep or grass don’t has owner. But if sheep or grass has owner you must first ask about permission or pay for copyrights to make a copy of looking. Simple!
You can read that what I was writing hire, you can remember this, you can tell about this another person, but you can’t copy and paste or print this text and show to somebody else because this is illegal if you do that you breaking the law in USA and Uzbekistan.
And is another one thing you must know. God say: You cant take a pictures of man, of animals, of womans, of kids of plants of anything else if on the pictures they will look like real. This is God law. Of course if you dont believe in God this law is not for you. But they believe.
BREAKING THE LAW BREAKING THE LAW!!!!!!
Uzbekistan = Zveristan. Those people will never advance into modernity once all the Russians and Jews fled that country after USSR collapsed. Tashkent University used to have best academics who were Russians and Jews. How can you expect to have good Uzbek engineers, scientists, doctors and lawyers when academics is very weak and not encouraged at all? Uzbekistan is slightly more advanced that Afghanistan in terms of culture, innovation and human development. That aint gonna change any time soon. The government loves Islamic rule over enlightenment.
Why slanderous, crasy, these are awesome photos.
It getting more and more to be a Marshal law country in Canada and W.P the U.S.A also, now do I get jailed for this also! don’t do this, don’t do that, that covers every inch of the world.
Ease up people, we would have less problems with us earthlings!!!
peace n’ creativity
if some people or goverment of uzbek think these picture “bad” for them, wait till you saw what really exist and happen in Indonesia, the most corruptive government/nation in the whole universe .
Hey .. ! I’m an Indonesian …
and I.. I..
well I must say I can’t argue with you on that
I have educated myself and now I have all the facts.
It is so absurd that where ever the government is bussy keeping the people poor and hungary that the only thing they are capable of doing well is silencing the truth aboiut their ignorancy. A good government has no time for critics, they are busy looking for an undone job rather than
looking for who is telling about bad situations (they correct bad situations)