On December 7, the Ferghana province criminal court ruled to arrest seven of workers of Albus gypsum plant for staging a protest against a gas shutdown and suspension of the plant. This was reported by the press service of the Fergana province police department.
Earlier, blogger Olimjon Khaydarov posted a video in which the plant's employees claim that 10,000 residents were left without work due to a gas shutdown in the district's entities and firms. In the video, filmed on December 6, people complain about the lack of electricity and gas, shouting: “What should we do?”, “How can we get out of this situation?” and declare that they are forced to turn to the governor of the province and the president.
The Province’s police department reported that on November 29, the plant in Shorsuv mahalla was disconnected from the gas pipeline by “the provincial gas supply enterprise in accordance with the terms of the concluded agreement in order to supply more natural gas to the population”
“20 plant workers, as a result of a misinterpretation of the situation, arbitrarily staged a protest in violation of public order,” the police department said.
Police officers filed administrative protocols against seven employees of the plant under Petty hooliganism and Violation of the procedure for organizing meetings, rallies, street walks or demonstrations charges of the Code of Administrative Responsibility. The documents were transferred to the district criminal court.
According to the court’s ruling dated December 7, one of the protesters was arrested for 10 days, and six more for 5 days.
