Uzbekistan:18 killed in Karakalpakstan as protests over right to secede turn violent

The death toll in protests over the right to secede reached 18 in Uzbekistan's Karakalpakstan region. As many as 243 others sustained grave injuries after clashes broke out between demonstrators and security forces attempting to quell the crowd. The unrest that erupted earlier this month continued on Monday amid the ongoing month-long curfew announced by Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on July 3.

"In the administrative center of Nukusz 18 people have died as a result of serious injuries received during mass disorders," Russian media network RIA Novosti quoted Abror Mamatov, an Uzbek official from the State Prosecutor's Office. At least 516 people were arrested in Karakalpakstan's capital region of Nukus in connection with the protests last Friday. This comes after state television of Uzbekistan showed images and videos of street barricades, charred trucks and tires, and heavy military deployment in Nukus.

In an online statement, President Mirziyoyev also accused protestors of carrying out "destructive actions" by throwing stones, setting government property on fire, and attacking police.

Protests in Uzbekistan over the amendment of Constitution turn violent

Public protests erupted earlier this week in Uzbekistan's Karakalpakstan region after the government planned to amend the constitution, removing its 'autonomous' status. The rare mass discontent broke out after Tashkent announced to hold a referendum for renewing the constitution which will strip off the sovereign status of Karakalpakstan. It is to note, that the current provisions in the Uzbek constitution identify Karakalpakstan as a sovereign republic that has the right to secede by holding a general election.

According to a Sputnik report, people believed that the presidential proposal to amend the autonomous status would revoke their right to secede, which resulted in widespread rage among people. “On July 1, starting at about 15.00 (10:00 GMT), some citizens of Karakalpakstan, as a result of a misinterpretation of the constitutional reforms being carried out in the republic, … protested in Nukus, after which they gathered on the territory of the central Dekhkan market and organized an illegal demonstration,” the Uzbek interior ministry said in a statement for media.

Bid to scrap secession rights of Karakalpakstan called off

However, President Mirziyoyev on Saturday announced that the status of Karakalpakstan will not be altered during his visit to the regional capital of Nukus. "It is necessary to leave the draft norms of the legal status of the Republic of Karakalpakstan unchanged," he said, hoping to build a joint Uzbekistan-Karakalpakstan anew.

For the unversed, Karakalpakstan is an autonomous urban-style settlement located in northwestern Uzbekistan. It is home to the about 19 lakh ethnic Karakalpak community that speaks Turkish. As reported by RFERL, Nukus shares close ties with Russia as it was a part of the Soviet Socialist Republic before becoming part of Uzbekistan in 1936.

(Image: AP)