The Vienna-based IHF says about 20 women burst into the home of the activist, Bakhtiyor Hamroev, in the city of Jizzakh as he was meeting on August 18 with a delegation from the British Embassy.
The IHF says police officers witnessed the attack and belatedly dispersed the crowd.
The women reportedly shout they did not want a "second Andijon" to happen in Jizzakh, a reference to a government crackdown in the eastern city of Andijon in May 2005. Officially, 187 people died in the unrest, but rights groups say hundreds of unarmed civilians were killed.
Andijon Anniversary Conference
Violence in Andijon, Uzbekistan, on May 14, 2005 (epa)
LISTEN
Listen to the Andijon conference.Part One (70 minutes):
Real Audio Windows Media
Part Two (60 minutes):
Real Audio Windows Media
The Uzbek government's response:
Real Audio Windows Media
THE COMPLETE STORY: A dedicated webpage bringing together all of RFE/RL's coverage of the events in Andijon, Uzbekistan, in May 2005 and their continuing repercussions.
CHRONOLOGY
For an annotated timeline of the Andijon events and their repercussions, click here.