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SCMP Reporter

A British ambassador who has been an outspoken critic of human rights abuses in Uzbekistan has been flown home seriously ill days after he returned to his posting.

Craig Murray, 45, who had just returned to Tashkent after a two-month absence for medical problems, reported to have been brought on by stress, was flown back by air ambulance.

During his time in the Central Asian republic, Britain's youngest ambassador had publicly denounced the US-backed regime for imprisoning thousands of its political opponents.

He also accused Uzbekistan of failing to introduce democracy, censoring public debate and torturing opponents in a prison system  guilty of 'brutality'.

The Foreign Office refused to comment  on the nature of Mr Murray's condition but confirmed that he would be returning to Uzbekistan when he  recovered.

'He has returned to the UK for medical treatment,' said a Foreign Office spokesman. 'He remains the British ambassador. We hope after his medical treatment he will be back in the post before too long.'

Demonstrators had rallied in front of Britain's embassy in Tashkent in support of Mr Murray, who in a speech last year accused the Uzbek regime of jailing up to 10,000 religious and political prisoners, of stifling dissidents by sending them to lunatic asylums and of torturing prisoners.

These include the killing of two members of a banned Islamist party who were tortured to death in the notoriously brutal Zhaslyk  prison. 'World attention has recently been focused on the prevalence of torture in Uzbek prisons. The terrible case of Avazoz and Amilov, apparently tortured to death by boiling water, has evoked great international concern,' he said.

His criticism infuriated the Uzbek regime and offended the US which has a large military base in the country and has hundreds of troops posted there.

Uzbekistan, which borders Afghanistan, is seen as a crucial ally in the war on terror and America tripled aid to the country to  US$502 million  last year.

The ambassador's friends in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, have claimed the US put pressure on Downing Street to investigate him after his outspoken comments.

Mr Murray is reported to have been the subject of an official Foreign Office inquiry, during which there were allegations of drinking. He  returned to London in September on 'health grounds' after pressure from the probe was said to have caused exhaustion.

Fifteen British citizens and Tashkent businessmen, backed Mr Murray in a letter to Foreign Secretary Jack Straw. One said there was 'a common belief that he is being sacrificed to the US'.

Yesterday Amnesty International praised Mr Murray for speaking out against human rights abuses.

'We think it has been really important that Craig Murray has had the strength to speak out against human rights violations,' a spokesman said.

'We would welcome the same kind of outspokenness from ambassadors in postings such as Saudi Arabia, Israel and the occupied territories and Russia.'

Mr Murray has had a distinguished diplomatic career until the recent controversy and rose up the ranks of the Foreign Office swiftly.

But he is regarded by many diplomats as having breached protocol by criticising publicly the regime where he is posted.



Troubled times for outspoken British ambassador