The State Department expressed concern Monday about several instances of harassment of journalists in Uzbekistan. Spokesman Richard Boucher cited in particular a case that involved Ergash Bobozhonov, a journalist and a member of the Birlik pro-democracy movement, who was arrested on charges related to several articles he wrote. He has since been released, but the charges have not been dropped, Boucher said. \"We continue to press the government of Uzbekistan on freedom of the press issues, including this particular case,\" he said. He said President Islam Karimov\'s government in the central Asia country, a former Soviet republic, made a commitment in a bilateral agreement to intensify the democratic transformation of Uzbekistan, including media independence. \"We expect to hold them to this commitment,\" Boucher said. (AP)