Front Line welcomes the release of Mr Sattor Irzaev from prison on 10 August 2009. Sattor Irzaev is a member of the Ishtikhan regional branch of HRSU.

Sattor Irzaev was arrested on 4 June 2005 and charged with denigration (art. 139 of the Criminal Code), extortion (art. 165 of the Criminal Code) and fraud (art. 168 of the Criminal Code).

On 18 October 2005, he was sentenced by the Samarkand regional court to 6 years of detention. It is reportedly that Sattor Irzaev was granted amnesty in 2008 however his release came one year later.

Front Line welcomes the release of Sattor Irzaev and strongly urges the release of Mr Norboy Holjigitov and Habibulla Akpulatov, human rights defenders who were arrested at the same time as Sattor Irzaev but remain in prison.