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Secrets and Lies: The man who stole the President’s secrets

Journalist Bobomurod Abdulla risked everything when he started leaking secret information about Uzbekistan's former leader Islam Karimov.

For many years, Uzbekistan was a particularly dangerous place to be a journalist. Speaking out against the government of former president Islam Karimov could lead to torture and a lengthy spell in prison. So it was a surprise for many when in 2004 secret messages started appearing online, containing what seemed like detailed and scandalous information about the president's household. For years, the identity of the writer was kept a secret, and the messages kept coming. Then one day, an inconspicuous football writer called Bobomurod Abdulla was snatched off the streets by the security forces, and the secret was finally out.

Do you have a fantastic story involving a secret or a lie? We'd love to hear about it. Record a short voice memo or write an e-mail and send it to us at [email protected]. If your story is about someone you know, just make sure they're ok with you telling us about it.

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27 minutes

Last on

Sun 4 Apr 202122:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Sat 3 Apr 202108:32GMT
  • Sun 4 Apr 202122:32GMT

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Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected