"Rather than being some craven attempt to “whitewash” Uzbekistan’s reputation, as both the BIJ and the Independent alleged, this briefing document actually shows Bell Pottinger placing the exact same preconditions on working with Uzbekistan that a coalition of twenty human rights organizations demanded (pdf) the U.S. government use when re-engaging with the regime. If anything, Bell Pottinger is behaving responsibly by refusing to engage in PR activities until reforms take place.

Bell Pottinger said up front, very explicitly, that they cannot and will not lie on behalf of Uzbekistan, that they can only help promote actual, real reforms on the part of the government. And now we learn that a PR agency actually treats its clients public images with the utmost seriousness and tries to promote them."

— Registan: The Bell Pottinger Freakout