UK Embassy Bash Falls Foul of Uzbek Secret Police

It is an event more usually associated with cocktails, canapes and polite laughter. But in Uzbekistan, the annual party held by the British embassy in honour of the Queen's birthday has been the object of dark threats from the secret police.

Furious with the efforts of the British ambassador, Craig Murray, to highlight human rights abuses in the country, the Uzbek security services have warned everyone from government officials to local musicians not to attend.

A source close to the embassy said: "Prominent Uzbeks were invited to attend. But they have been getting phone calls from the secret police telling them it would be bad for their health to be there."

At least 20 Uzbek guests rang the embassy to say they would come anyway. The callers said the Uzbek security services, or SNB, had made the majority of threats.

The Uzbek government then summoned a host of prominent musicians to the prime minister's office for a meeting on Monday. "They were told they would be banned from performing in public or in the media if they played at the party," said the source.

The renowned Uzbek folk singer Sherali, who has already been banned by the government, was top of the bill at the party.

"What are they going to do?" asked the source. "Ban him twice?"

The Uzbek foreign ministry was unable to comment, but it usually denies accusations of coercion by the secret police.

Mr Murray organised the eight-hour event, which started yesterday at a civilised 3pm.

"Craig throws quite a bash, probably the biggest in town," said one local businessman. A thousand guests were expected to attend this year's party - about 200 fewer than invited. The absence of Uzbek officials was not said to dent the party spirit.

"If all they do is not turn up, then the party will probably be better than if they were there," said the source before the party began.

Mr Murray has been mired in controversy since his persistent outbursts over human rights abuses led to an investigation into his conduct last year.

Hundreds of religious prisoners are held without trial in the central Asian state, where torture is commonplace. One prisoner was boiled to death and his mother was sentenced to six years' hard labour for her protests. She was then pardoned following international condemnation.

Mr Murray highlighted the contradiction between US support for the Uzbek regime - the country hosts an American military base for operations in neighbouring Afghanistan - and its invasion of Iraq for similar abuses.

The US gave $80m (£54m) in aid in 2002 to the same Uzbek security services it accused of "using torture as a routine investigation technique".

The British ambassador's persistent criticism culminated in a Foreign Office investigation into his conduct in which he was accused of being drunk at work, overly friendly with locals, and a bad driver. The accusations were dropped and he is now taking legal action against the Foreign Office.

The boycott of the party is the latest in a series of moves by the regime of President Islam Karimov aimed at intimidating its most acerbic critics. The European Bank of Reconstruction and Development recently said it would stop funding to Uzbekistan because of human rights abuses. Its recent summit was boycotted by Tashkent. Washington is also thought to be close to withdrawing aid on human rights grounds.

The Uzbek government recently banned all opposition parties from campaigning in the forthcoming elections.

The source added: "Perhaps these officials heard they had to ban all 'independent parties', and got the wrong end of the stick."