party newspaper of Erk/Liberty and inciting the overthrow of Karimov. Members of opposition groups have been harassed by Uzbekistan's SNB as far away as Moscow. Crackdown on Islamic fundamentalism The government severely represses those it suspects of Islamic extremism. Some 6,000 suspected members of Hizb ut-Tahrir are among those incarcerated, and some are believed to have died over the past several years from prison disease, torture, and abuse. With few options for religious instruction, some young Muslims have turned to underground Islamic movements. The police force and the SNB use torture as a routine investigation technique. The government has begun to bring to trial some officers accused of torture. Four police officers and three SNB officers have been convicted. The government has granted amnesties to political and non-political prisoners, but this was believed to have benefited only a small proportion of those detained. In 2002 and the beginning of 2003 the government arrested fewer suspected Islamic fundamentalists than in the past. However, in May 2005, hundreds were killed by police in a massacre of protesters in the city of Andijan. In a move welcomed by the international community, the government of Uzbekistan has ended prior censorship, though the media remain tightly controlled. Executive branch |President |Shavkat Mirziyoyev |Uzbekistan Liberal Democratic Party |8 September 2016 |- |Prime Minister |Abdulla Oripov |Uzbekistan Liberal Democratic Party |14 December 2016 |} The president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term in elections that cannot be described as free. Freedom House rates Uzbekistan as absolutely unfree in both political institutions and civil society. The prime minister and deputy ministers are appointed by the president. In effect, the executive branch holds almost all power. The judiciary lacks independence and the legislature, which meets only a few days each year, has little power to shape laws. The president selects and replaces provincial governors. Under the terms of a December 1995 referendum, Islam Karimov's first term was extended. Another national referendum was held January 27, 2002 to again extend Karimov's term. The referendum passed and Karimov's term was extended by act of the parliament to December 2007. Most international observers refused to participate in the process and did not recognize the results, dismissing them as not meeting basic standards. Karimov had himself re-elected for a technically unconstitutional third term in the 2007 election. Legislative branch The Oliy Majlis has 150 members in the Legislative Chamber, elected