Uzbekistan has sentenced 18 participants in last summer’s riots in Nukus. The Bukhara regional court sentenced them to imprisonment from three to 16 years. This was announced on January 31 by a representative of the court.
“The court sentenced 18 defendants to terms of imprisonment from three to 16 years in prison, four defendants were sentenced to restraint of liberty for up to five years,” RIA Novosti reports.
It is noted that the main suspect in the organization of these riots, Dauletmurat Tazhimuratov, received 16 years in prison.
In December last year, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Uzbekistan reported that 171 people had been charged with participating in and organizing mass riots in Nukus, and the criminal case had already been considered in court against 22 accused.
Illegal demonstrations took place in Nukus, the capital of the republic of Karakalpakstan, in early July. Participants of the protest actions opposed the holding of a referendum on amendments to the constitution. They did not approve of the plans of the authorities to make a change regarding the republic. Thus, it was proposed to remove articles on the sovereign status of Karakalpakstan and its right to secede from Uzbekistan from the document.
It was also reported that the organizers of the riots tried to seize the authorities of the region, but their attempt was stopped by law enforcement officers. They were detained.
Against the background of the rallies, a state of emergency was in effect on the territory of the republic. After that, the House of Parliament of Uzbekistan voted to exclude articles that mention the status of the republic from the draft amendments to the constitution.
During the riots, 21 people died. Also, 274 people received injuries and injuries of varying severity.
