The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has issued a powerful condemnation of Uzbekistan’s treatment of Dauletmurat Tazhimuratov, declaring his arrest, trial, and continued imprisonment to be arbitrary and in violation of international law.
In its Opinion No. 62/2024, adopted at its 101st session, the Working Group found that Dauletmurat Tazhimuratov’s arrest, detention, and conviction violated multiple international legal standards and were carried out in retaliation for his peaceful activism.
Tazhimuratov was detained following his public opposition to proposed constitutional amendments in Uzbekistan that would have stripped Karakalpakstan, an autonomous region, of its self-governing status. He was arrested twice in July 2022, without a warrant, subjected to physical abuse, and held for over four months in pretrial detention under degrading conditions.
Authorities reportedly used excessive force during protests in Nukus, Karakalpakstan, where at least 20 people were killed and nearly 300 injured. Mr. Tazhimuratov was accused of inciting separatism, organizing mass riots, and other offenses under vague and overly broad criminal provisions.
In January 2023, Mr. Tazhimuratov was sentenced to 16 years in prison after a trial marred by procedural violations. The court relied on testimony from state-appointed experts who did not speak the Karakalpak language, barred him from calling his own witnesses, and reportedly ignored allegations of torture and ill-treatment.
The Working Group concluded that Mr. Tazhimuratov’s detention is arbitrary under four key categories:
- Category I: No legal basis for his arrest or pretrial detention.
- Category II: Detention for exercising fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and minority cultural rights.
- Category III: Gross violations of fair trial rights, including use of coercion and biased judicial proceedings.
- Category V: Discrimination based on ethnicity (Karakalpak origin) and political opinion.
The Working Group urged the Government of Uzbekistan to:
- Immediately release Mr. Tazhimuratov,
- Provide compensation and reparations,
- Investigate the abuses committed,
- Reform discriminatory and overbroad laws used to silence dissent.
“This case exemplifies the urgent need for legal reform and human rights protections in Uzbekistan,” the Working Group stated. “Detaining individuals for peaceful activism and cultural expression violates both domestic and international law.
Freedom for Eurasia has been closely monitoring the situation since Mr. Tazhimuratov’s initial arrest in July 2022, and continues to track developments surrounding his trial and imprisonment. We are deeply alarmed by ongoing, credible reports that his mental and physical health is deteriorating due to systematic abuse, neglect, and isolation in Penal Colony No. 11 in the Navoi region.
Despite international outcry and the UN’s urgent recommendation for his immediate release, Mr. Tazhimuratov remains incarcerated under harsh conditions. He has reportedly been denied adequate medical care, access to news or educational materials, and forced to perform acts of submission, including being punished for refusing to sing the national anthem.
To learn more about Dauletmurat Tazhimuratov’s background and current situation, visit:
Freedom for Eurasia – Case File: Dauletmurat Tazhimuratov
