Uzbekistan Court Closes U.S. Charity

A Uzbekistan civil court closed down Counterpart International, an American humanitarian-aid organization that has an office in the country, reports Reuters.

Uzbekistan has been increasingly hostile toward foreign-aid groups and the news media since last year, when people in Western countries widely criticized the government’s violent reaction to an uprising in the town of Andijan.

Neither the court nor Counterpart International commented to the news service on why the office was being shut down or whether the charity would appeal the decision.