Another Uzbek has been sentenced to jail time – five years and one month – for violating Articles 158 of the country’s criminal code, namely provisions pertaining to insulting the president. He was also charged with threatening the constitutional order for an alleged association with the banned Erk (Freedom) party. Bunyodjon Boboniyozov, a 38-year-old described … Read more
In the first week of December, one Uzbek blogger was released early on parole and another blogger was convicted and sentenced to eight years. A shared thread between the two men whose cases are covered below is their activities as bloggers. In Uzbekistan, the term “blogger” is a catch-all used to refer to both individuals … Read more
Advertisement A fourth Karakalpak has been released from detention in Kazakhstan, a year after her arrest ostensibly at the request of Uzbek authorities. The releases mark a stalemate of sorts. Kazakhstan’s government was under pressure to not deport Karakalpak activists to Uzbekistan, where they would likely face lengthy prison sentences. Ziuar Mirmanbetova was released on … Read more
Advertisement “Many suggest I shut down the media, but I won’t do it,” Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said in February 2023. He was once again assuring audiences that he “likes the breath of freedom,” while conceding it makes it “harder to work.” Two years earlier, Mirziyoyev even proposed punishing officials for censorship, intimidation, and interference … Read more