Six months after the bloody unrest in Kazakhstan, an uprising against the authoritarian government has broken out in another ex-Soviet republic. A proposed constitutional amendment has sparked mass protests in the northwestern Uzbek province of Karakapakstan. Because extensive autonomy rights of the local population would have been severely curtailed by the change. Although President Shawkat Mirsiyoyev has announced that he will reject the plans, protests have been brutally crushed and a state of emergency has been declared.
According to the head of state, the public protests have resulted in civilians and victims of security forces. According to a statement released Sunday, rioters carried out “destructive acts” in the city of Nukus, throwing stones, setting fires and attacking police. However, no specific number of casualties was given.
Photos of suppressed protests on the internet
Uzbekistan is a tightly controlled Central Asian state and a former Soviet republic where the government cracks down on any criticism. Human rights organizations denounce police brutality. “There are 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 going on. Even pictures of streets full of blood are circulating on social media. You also see an angry crowd, victims lying on the ground, shots can be heard in the background.
The foreign ministry of neighboring Kazakhstan, whose government had cracked down violent protests in early January, expressed concern about events in Uzbekistan. “We welcome and support the decisions of Uzbek leaders to stabilize the situation in Karakalpakstan,” the ministry said in a statement.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
