Radio 1 88-90fm
Programme 1: 17th August 2006
Craig Murray was perhaps the most promising British diplomat of his generation. He entered the Foreign Service at the top of his year's intake and - on his appointment in 2002 as Ambassador to Uzbekistan - was his country's youngest ambassador.
A member of the 'Coalition of the Willing' in Iraq, Uzbekistan enjoyed the financial and political backing of the UK and US. But within weeks of his posting, Murray had evidence that the country's Karimov regime was engaged in 'industrial scale' torture, which included boiling dissidents to death.
When he repeatedly brought these human rights abuses to the attention of the British Government - and questioned their support for the regime - he found himself accused of a list allegations including selling passports for sex, being drunk on the job, and effectively stealing from the Embassy.
Although he was eventually cleared of all the allegations, Murray suffered a nervous breakdown, and retired from the Foreign Service in 2004.
Craig Murray's account of his experiences in Uzbekistan are contained in his book, 'Murder in Samarkand', published by Mainstream Publishing.
