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| - A Polish journalist who said she was sexually harassed by an official in Uzbekistan's foreign ministry received on Tuesday an apology from the ministry, which said the official was dismissed and promised the journalist accreditation. Agnieszka Pikulicka-Wilczewska, who is based in the Central Asian country's capital Tashkent and has written for Al Jazeera and The Guardian, said that an official dealing with her accreditation request had tried to kiss her and sent her suggestive messages. Pikulicka-Wilczewska said in the account published on Twitter late on Monday that the foreign ministry had told her that it had refused her request for media accreditation, some six months after she applied. But on Tuesday Uzbekistan's foreign ministry said that it had apologised to Pikulicka-Wilczewska and would now grant her accreditation on Wednesday. "The employee of the Ministry, previously mentioned by the foreign correspondent, was dismissed from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," the statement said, without mentioning the employee's name. Pikulicka-Wilczewska's account of her interactions with the official sparked online disgust among Uzbeks and foreigners, with Britain's ambassador to Tashkent Tim Torlot and Human Rights Watch on Monday calling on authorities to investigate the allegations. Pikulicka-Wilczewska also said that the same official had suggested that she write "positive stories" about the government after she rebuffed his advances. Pikulicka-Wilczewska told AFP that she had informed another government official about the man's behaviour last August. Uzbekistan has projected itself as a changed country since the death in 2016 of long-ruling despot Islam Karimov, pursuing reforms that precipitated a boom in tourism while tackling forced labour in its lucrative cotton sector. The hardline regime has also allowed breathing space for independent media including foreign press, although decision-makers often appear to be at odds over how much is too much. Pikulicka-Wilczewska's complaint won swift support from Komiljon Allamjonov, the former press-secretary of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Allamjononov said on Twitter that he held "a constructive meeting" with the journalist shortly before the foreign ministry released its apology. Uzbekistan's recent progress eradicating forced labour has been acknowledged by the Cotton Campaign group, which has influenced a long-lasting boycott of Uzbek cotton supported by more than 300 entities, including global retailers. The campaign also raised concern over Pikulicka-Wilczewska's allegations in a tweet on Tuesday. "Independent journalists and NGOs are vital to enabling environment for business that meets international standards," the group warned. Pikulicka-Wilczewska later wrote on Twitter that today's decision is "unlikely" a sign of change within the system but shows that civil society in Uzbekistan has become "stronger than ever" in recent years. sk-cr/acl/pvh
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