Background

On 26 June 2022, the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyayev, proposed 170 amendments to the country's constitution, to be voted on in a public referendum. This included an amendment that would significantly reduce Karakalpakstan's autonomous status within Uzbekistan, as well as another that would remove Karakalpaks' constitutional right to secede from Uzbekistan via a referendum.^[6][7][8]

Protests

On 1 July 2022, Tazhimuratov announced a peaceful protest against the proposed amendments, to be held in Nukus on 5 July, with the agreement of Murat Kamalov, the chairman of the Supreme Council of Karakalpakstan. He also voiced his intention to vote "no" on any constitutional referendum.^[9][10] That same day, Tazhimuratov was arrested alongside his nephew; he was released around two hours later. Later that day, Tazhimuratov was arrested again alongside his wife, children, and other relatives, prompting spontaneous protests to occur in Nukus, prompting his release. Tazhimuratov announced that his planned protest would still occur, and called on support from the United Nations and the Committee to Protect Journalists, as well as the embassies of the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany.^[7][11][12]

On 2 July 2022, Mirziyayev visited Nukus and announced he was reversing the proposed constitutional amendments that would curtail Karakalpakstan's autonomy.^[9][13] That same day, the Supreme Council of Karakalpakstan reported that protesters had attempted to storm government buildings. A state of emergency in the region was declared by the Uzbek government, and internet access was blocked. Protests continued, with concerns raised by opposition politicians that the issue could turn into an ethnic conflict between Karakalpaks and Uzbeks.^[14] By 4 July, following the intervention of security forces and the implementation of a curfew, the situation in Karakalpakstan was reported to have stabilised, though this led to the deaths of at least 21 protesters.^[9][15]

Arrest, trial and imprisonment

On 4 July 2022, Tazhimuratov was arrested for orchestrating mass riots, attempting to seize power, and distributing materials containing threats to national security, and was transported via helicopter to a prison in Khorezm Region; a further charge of causing intentional grave bodily injury was subsequently withdrawn.^[16][17] Tazhimuratov alleged that he had been tortured while in police custody, including being beaten with a stun gun and being stamped on the head.^[18]

Tazhimuratov was tried by a court in Bukhara alongside 21 other protesters. The prosecution claimed that speeches and statements made by Tazhimuratov had incited violent protests; his lawyer criticised the prosecution's case, noting that their expert linguistic witness could not speak Karakalpak and therefore was not able to comment on the language Tazhimuratov used.^[19] On 31 January 2023, Tazhimuratov was sentenced to 16 years in prison, the heaviest sentence given to any of the protesters.^[9][20][21]

At Tazhimuratov's trial, he was also found guilty of embezzlement, stemming from articles he had previously written, and was fined 228.8 million UZS.^[6]

Appeal

Following his conviction, Human Rights Watch released a statement describing Tazhimuratov's sentence as being similar to those experienced by human rights activists during the regime of Mirziyayev's predecessor Islam Karimov, whom they said frequently sentenced activists to lengthy prison terms.^[6]

Tazhimuratov appealed his sentence before the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan in June 2023; the court upheld his conviction.^[10][22] The Diplomat noted that while courts had reduced the sentences of other Karakalpak protesters, that the Uzbek government had framed Tazhimuratov as being the "mastermind" behind the protests, which played a role in his harsher sentencing.^[10][23]

Life in prison

In September 2023 after visiting the prison, Tazhimuratov's lawyer Sergey Mayorov stated that Tazhimuratov was being kept isolated in prison; kept in a dark room with no access to sunlight; prevented from exercising, working, reading and writing; and not receiving adequate access to healthcare and food. Mayorov provided a letter Tazhimuratov had wrote to the ombudsman, Feruza Eshmatova, in which he compared prison conditions to that of the Khanate of Khiva.^[24]

On November 28, after visiting the prison, Mayorov stated the following: "Dauletmurat is not allowed to send letters from the colony, he is not delivered letters that are addressed to him personally. He is not given any educational talks. He is isolated from other convicts, i.e. creating an oppressive atmosphere in this institution. That is, they (administration of Navoyi colony) create additional artificial difficulties in order to destroy the spirit of this freedom-loving, truthful person - the voice of the interests of the people of Karakalpakstan.

I will mention some more ways of humiliation and insults that are applied by the administration of the Navoiy colony. For example, when food is brought to Dauletmurat, he is required to express his gratitude to the colony administration therefor. After that, after thanking, he must sing the anthem of Uzbekistan - 4 verses. Obviously, he does not do this and, accordingly, he accumulates violations of the regime. All this is done in order to have a formal reason to move him from the prison regime to the punishment cell, a condition that is more cruel. He is not given the opportunity to listen to the radio, well, apparently, others are not given it either, including him. He is not given press, newspaper. Even when Dauletmurat asks the guard, sentry, convoyer: "What time is it?" - and even the fact that there is a clock above the guard, hanging above the guard, but he is instructed not to say what time it is at that moment. As you see, a person who is in a cell 24 hours a day has no way to orient himself in time and this is done on purpose to humiliate him, to weaken his feelings for freedom and to break him so that he begins to obey the illegal demands of the administration. Earlier, it was in the summer [2023], we appealed with him to change the prison regime, but, of course, we were refused. Now all is being carried out to keep him in the colony as long as possible and documents are being prepared for a punishment cell, so that then another article can be added to him: failure to follow the regime, the regime of keeping him in prison.

Dauletmurat finally got a cellmate - that is, a man who has been convicted of murder for 22 years and, apparently, the administration expects, hopes to do away with the son of the #Karakalpak people in this way. So this murderer has nothing to lose and if he gets the task to kill Dauletmurat, there is no doubt that it will be done. And of course, the blame for this lies with the administration.

Regarding treatment - he needs treatment, but the doctors do not possess and do not have sufficient funds to diagnose and treat him. Therefore, they give him painkillers, which not only do not bring him relief, but are already being rejected by his body.

Dear people, representatives of organizations concerned with the fate of this great man! It is not possible to solve the problem at the domestic level, at the expense of national legislation, using the domestic legislation [of the Republic of #Uzbekistan]. Only the intervention of international organizations can change the situation! The strict regime imposed on him is also illegal. According to our legislation [of the Republic of Uzbekistan], strict regime is assigned only to those who have previously served their sentences in places of deprivation of liberty. And Dauletmurat served time in prison, but his conviction was expunged. According to our legislation, he had no right to impose strict regime. He was given such regime"