Unrest in Uzbekistan: what caused the protests in the Karakalpakstan region

In Uzbekistan, in the autonomous region of Karakalpakstan, thousands of residents took to mass protests against changes to the Constitution. The protests led to clashes and detentions of protesters.

Unrest in Uzbekistan

Article 74 of the Constitution of Uzbekistan states that the Republic of Karakalpakstan has the right to secede from Uzbekistan on the basis of a general referendum of the people of Karakalpakstan.

In addition, the territory and borders of the Republic of Karakalpakstan cannot be changed without its consent. The Republic of Karakalpakstan independently resolves issues of its administrative-territorial structure.

It was these paragraphs that were removed from the new version of the Constitution, which caused indignation among the inhabitants of the region.

With the new Constitution, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev wants to “zero out” the terms of office, because he has been in power since 2016, and also exclude the autonomous status of Karakalpakstan and its right to withdraw.

Start of rallies

The protesters came out to protest in the capital of the autonomy, the city of Nukus. Law enforcement officers were also taken to the streets to prevent riots. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan called the rally illegal.

“On July 1, starting at about 15.00, some citizens of Karakalpakstan, as a result of a misinterpretation of the constitutional reforms being carried out in the republic, unplanned marches around the city of Nukus, after which they gathered on the territory of the central dekhkan market and organized an illegal demonstration,” the Ministry of Internal Affairs said in a statement.

On the same day, the President of Uzbekistan arrived in the city of Nukus.

Since the process of discussing amendments and additions to the Constitution is still ongoing, the president stated the need to preserve the current versions of articles 70, 71, 72, 74, 75 of the Constitution of Uzbekistan without changes.

Later it became known that law enforcement officers of Karakalpakstan detained a group of organizers of the riots, who are allegedly accused of trying to seize the authorities of the autonomous region.

Clashes between police and protesters

According to the Telegram channel Ateo Breaking, members of the special detachment of the Ministry of Internal Affairs used special equipment against the protesters.

Employees of power structures began to throw smoke bombs. Some of the protesters caught the checkers and threw them back at the employees, the report said.

One of the stun bombs hit a protester in the head. According to some reports, the man died. It is also reported that law enforcement officers used rubber bullets against the protesters - two people were hit in the legs. They also tried to disperse the protest with tear gas and water cannons.

In addition, social networks say that there are interruptions in the Internet in the region.

Reference:

The Kara-Kalpak Autonomous Region was formed in 1924. Until 1930, the autonomy was part of the Kazakh SSR. In 1936, the Kara-Kalpak ASSR was incorporated into the Uzbek SSR.

On December 14, 1990, the parliament of Karakalpakstan as part of the Uzbek SSR adopted a declaration on state sovereignty. But the government of Uzbekistan in 1993 signed an agreement with Karakalpakstan for a period of 20 years on the entry of the Republic of Karakalpakstan into Uzbekistan.

The agreement describes the right of the autonomous republic to withdraw from Uzbekistan through a referendum. But after the 20-year period, the treaty was forgotten.

Source: Constitution of Uzbekistan, Radio Ozodlik, Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan

Marta Bondarenko, tape editor