Freedom For Eurasia is deeply alarmed by the recent reports of two deaths in custody and one case of severe injury following police detention in Uzbekistan. These disturbing incidents follow a pattern of suspicious deaths in detention facilities that has persisted in Uzbekistan for decades.
According to reports, 21-year-old Muhammadkadir Pulatov died on February 14 in Almalyk prison, with authorities claiming heart attack and acute pancreatitis as causes. However, his mother reports having seen her healthy son just two weeks prior, raising serious questions about the official narrative.
Karakalpak blogger Mustafa Tursynbayev, 41, died in Penal Colony No. 7 in Uzbekistan. According to the Prosecutor Office, inmate Tursynbaev passed away in the hospital on February 16 after falling into a coma after a wall collapsed on him at a construction site inside the colony. The Tashkent Special Prosecutor’s Office is investigating under Article 257 of the Criminal Code (Violation of labor protection rules).
Mustafa Tursynbayev created the popular video channel Nukus Online, covering social and political issues in Karakalpakstan. In November 2023, he was arrested, and in March 2024, he was sentenced to five years in prison on extortion charges. Tursynbayev denied the accusations, while human rights organizations described the case as fabricated and politically motivated.
We previously reported on his arrest, noting that it was linked to his journalism, reporting on social issues, and human rights violations in Karakalpakstan. In 2024, many bloggers and even ordinary social media users were arrested in Uzbekistan, some for reposts, comments, or likes. These events highlight the tightening of repressive measures by Uzbek authorities and their efforts to suppress freedom of speech.
Another case is a young barber, who was detained by Samarkand police on February 13 remains unconscious in hospital, with authorities providing no explanation to his family about his condition.
These cases represent a critical human rights crisis that demands immediate and transparent investigation. While the Prosecutor General’s Office has announced pre-investigations, Uzbekistan’s history of impunity for abuses in detention makes independent verification essential.
“These incidents suggest that despite President Mirziyoyev’s reform promises, the systematic abuse of detainees continues in Uzbekistan’s detention facilities,” said Michael Laubsch, The Freedom For Eurasia Advocacy Director. “The timing and circumstances of these separate incidents occurring within days of each other raises grave concerns about conditions in Uzbekistan’s detention facilities.”
We remind Uzbekistani authorities of their obligations under international human rights law, including the UN Convention Against Torture, which Uzbekistan has ratified. The government must:
- Conduct thorough, independent, and transparent investigations into all three cases
- Allow independent forensic examinations of the deceased
- Ensure family members have full access to investigation findings
- Hold accountable any officials responsible for negligence or abuse
- Implement immediate reforms to prevent further deaths in custody
Freedom For Eurasia calls on the international community to closely monitor these cases and press Uzbekistan to demonstrate genuine commitment to ending the practice of torture and abuse in detention. The pattern of suspicious deaths in custody must end if Uzbekistan is serious about human rights reform.
