Disappointment has been expressed by a Christian human rights group at the decision taken earlier this week by EU foreign ministers to ease sanctions against Uzbekistan, despite the continuing deterioration of the human rights situation in the country.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has spoken out against the External Relations Council that passed a Council Conclusion to lift the visa ban temporarily on a number of Uzbek officials "with a view to encouraging the Uzbek authorities to take positive steps to improve the human rights situation".

The EU External Relations Commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, stated that the EU would initially lift the ban for six months, with the option to reinstate sanctions if human rights violations continue.

Paragraph 4 of the Council Conclusion includes conditions that the Uzbek authorities make further progress in the area of human rights, specifically urging Uzbekistan to allow full access to prisoners, engage effectively with UN Special Rapporteurs and give all NGOs access to the country.

The move to ease sanctions against Uzbekistan is believed to have been led by Germany, which regards Uzbekistan as a crucial country for its Central Asia strategy on energy.

It is unclear whether a unanimous decision of member states will be required to reinstate sanctions on Uzbekistan or whether the sanctions will automatically be reinstated if the Uzbek government fails to make significant progress on human rights.

CSW's Chief Executive, Mervyn Thomas, said: "It is disappointing that the EU foreign ministers have taken this decision at a time when the overall human rights situation in Uzbekistan has continued to deteriorate rapidly. The Council quoted the willingness of the Uzbek authorities to engage in human rights dialogue and their move to abolish the death penalty.

"However, these dialogues do not appear to have produced any tangible results. We hope that the EU has not undermined its negotiating power with Uzbekistan by opting to lift the visa ban temporarily, and that it will continue to call on the Uzbek authorities to improve the human rights situation. Should the situation worsen, the EU must stand by its statement to reinstate sanctions on Uzbekistan."