Freedom for Eurasia has received troubling news that Zhumasapar Dadebaev, a political prisoner from Karakalpakstan, has been moved to the Specialized Prison Hospital No. 23 in Tashkent’s Yashnabad district.
This information comes from his father, Egenmurat Dadebaev, who on 2 September 2025 filed an official complaint with the Ombudsperson of Uzbekistan. In his appeal, he reported that his son, previously held in Colony KIN-1 in Bukhara region, had been subjected to severe physical and psychological abuse.
During a phone call on 28 August, Zhumasapar told his father that his health had sharply declined due to repeated beatings and insults from prison officer Jamshid Abdullaev. According to Zhumasapar, Abdullaev also mistreats other prisoners. Egenmurat has urged the authorities to take urgent action and hold those responsible accountable.
Zhumasapar Dadebaev is an activist ccritic of the Uzbek regime from the Republic of Karakalpakstan. In January 2022, he was unlawfully taken from Turkey to Uzbekistan and later sentenced to 12 years in prison, for peacefully expressing support on social media for Karakalpakstan’s independence. Since his imprisonment, his health has deteriorated sharply due to repeated torture, degrading treatment, and the denial of adequate medical care.
Freedom for Eurasia met with Zhumasapar’s father Egenmurat Dadebaev in 2023 during a fact-finding mission to Karakalpakstan. At that time, he voiced grave concerns about his son’s unjust imprisonment and the harsh prison conditions he was enduring. These latest reports of torture confirm the fears he shared with us.
FReedom For Eurasia has also documented a pattern of mistreatment against Zhumasapar Dadebaev, including forced cell transfers, threats, and ongoing violations of his basic rights.
Freedom for Eurasia calls on the Uzbek authorities to:
• Conduct an immediate and independent investigation into the allegations of torture.
• Hold accountable those responsible for the abuse of prisoners.
• Ensure Zhumasapar Dadebaev’s access to urgent medical treatment and protection from further harm.
We also call upon the international community, including the United Nations, the OSCE, and global human rights organizations, to maintain close scrutiny of this situation. It is imperative that these bodies actively ensure Uzbekistan’s full adherence to its commitments under international human rights law.
