On April 3, 2024 Almaty police arrested another Karakalpak activist, 43 year old Utambetov Rinat. So far it is known that he was arrested at the request of Uzbekistan and that Uzbek authorities opened a criminal case against him on charges of encroachment on the consitutional system of the Republic of Uzbekistan (article 159 of the Uzbek Criminal Code). Utambetov Rinat publicly advocated against the consitutional amendments revoking sovereignty of Karakalpakstan which Uzbek authorities tried to introduce in 2022.
The efforts of Uzbek authorities to change the Consitution led to protests in Karakalpakstan which were brutally supressed by the Uzbek authorities. The crackdown against the peaceful protesters left many missing, dead, wounded and imprisoned on fabricated charges of crimes against the consitutional order of Uzbekistan.
