Trial opens over Uzbek uprising

Human rights campaigners said the crackdown was a "massacre"

Fifteen men have gone on trial in Uzbekistan, accused of leading armed unrest in the town of Andijan in May.

They face multiple charges, including terrorism, shooting of hostages and membership of banned Islamic groups.

The government insists the trial will be open, but correspondents say it is unclear whether diplomats and western journalists will be allowed to attend.

Human rights groups say many hundreds died in the Andijan uprising, and accuse Uzbek troops of brutality.

The government in Tashkent has been criticised for rejecting an international investigation into the incident.

The government wants to prevent the truth about what really happened in Andijan from coming out Maisy Weicherding Amnesty International Andijan living in fear

With most independent local journalists and human rights workers now cowed by the security services or driven out of the country, few people know exactly what happened in the eastern Uzbek town, the BBC's Ian MacWilliam reports.

'Terrorist attacks'

The unrest began on 12 May after supporters of 23 local businessmen - on trial for alleged Islamic extremism - broke into Andijan's jail and freed them.

The armed men then occupied the town hall and a huge anti-government protest began.

The terrorist attacks on Andijan were carefully planned and organised by external destructive forces Anvar Nabiyev Uzbekistan prosecutor

Three of the Andijan businessmen - recaptured after being freed - are among the defendants who will be tried by the supreme court.

Another three men are citizens of neighbouring Kyrgyzstan.

Uzbek prosecutors allege that participants in the revolt planned to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state.

They claim the organisers were trained in Kyrgyzstan and received funding from abroad - and say they are also linked to two Islamist organisations, the Islamic Movement of Turkestan and a branch of the radical organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir.

The government says 187 people died in the violence, which lasted for more than 24 hours.

Human rights groups say 500 or more may have been killed.

'Unfair trial'

Ahead of the trial, Amnesty International denounced what it described as widespread persecution of eyewitnesses in order to hide the truth.

In a new report, it said thousands of people had been arrested since the tragic events.

"The truth is under siege. The government wants to prevent the truth about what really happened in Andijan from coming out," said Amnesty's Uzbekistan researcher Maisy Weicherding.

"People in detention are at serious risk of being subjected to torture and other ill-treatment," she said.

"Some have been charged with capital offences. They are at great risk of being sentenced to death following an unfair trial."