Strasbourg  - The European Strasbourg has ordered Russia to pay a total of 195,000 euros (306,000 dollars) in damages to 12 Uzbeks and one Kyrgyz national for threatening to send them to Uzbekistan where they would face torture.

Sending the Muslim men to Uzbekistan would be a violation of the ban on torture, the court found Thursday, because the abuse of prisoners in Uzbekistan was a longstanding problem.

The 13 men are currently in custody in Russia, where they are seeking asylum.

The Uzbek authorities accuse the men of having financed the 2005 uprising in Andijan which was bloodily put down by the security forces. (dpa)