Anti-government protests: 18 dead in riots in Uzbekistan

At least 18 people have been killed in unrest in Uzbekistan. The protests in the autonomous province of Karakalpakstan were directed against a constitutional change. President Mirsiyoyev has since relented.

According to official figures, at least 18 people have died during unrest in the former Soviet republic of Uzbekistan that lasted several days. This was announced by a representative of the Prosecutor General’s Office Abror Mamatov.

The protests broke out in Nukus, the capital of the autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan in the west of the Central Asian country, at the end of last week. They are directed against a planned constitutional reform in which the sovereignty of the region is no longer explicitly mentioned. Karakalpakstan would then just be an ordinary Uzbek province.

516 people arrested – many released

Mamatov spoke of “mass unrest”. According to the National Guard, there were also more than 240 injuries. Of these, 94 were taken to hospitals. Media reports spoke of significantly more fatalities and injuries without this being officially confirmed.

In addition, the local security forces arrested 516 people when the protests were broken up last Friday. However, many of them have since been released.

In view of the massive protests, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev traveled to Karakalpakstan and announced that he would not change the constitution. He then imposed a state of emergency for four weeks. It is unclear whether he also wants to do without the new passage, which is intended to ensure that he remains in office.

Biggest protests since 2016

The protests had started in the provincial capital Nukus. Mirsijoyev spoke of rioters who threw stones, set fires and attacked the police during “destructive actions”. As far as is known, the demonstrations are the largest protests against Mirziyoyev since he took office in 2016.

Only around two million of the country’s approximately 35 million inhabitants live in Karakalpakstan in western Uzbekistan. However, the republic occupies almost 40 percent of the country’s area. The republic has its own parliament. Karakalpak is recognized as an official language alongside Uzbek. Otherwise, the autonomy rights are limited.

Strictly controlled state

Landlocked Uzbekistan is a tightly controlled Central Asian state where the government cracks down on any form of criticism. Human rights organizations denounce police violence, among other things. “There have been unconfirmed reports of excessive use of force by security forces during the July 1 protests in Nukus,” Human Rights Watch Europe and Central Asia director Hugh Williamson wrote on Twitter. He called for an investigation into what was happening.