Article author:
Reuters
Uzbekistan President Shavkato Mirjiyoev said on Sunday that civilians and law enforcement officers were killed or injured after a rare public protest in the state of Karakalpakstan in the northwestern part of the country.
In a statement posted online, Milziyoev stated that the mob had performed "destructive actions" in the city of Nukus, throwing stones, firing and attacking police.
"Unfortunately, there are victims among civilians and law enforcement officers," he said. The
statement did not identify the number and nature of casualties.
Uzbekistan is a tightly controlled Central Asian state, the former Soviet Republic, and the government is cracking down on all forms of opposition.
Human Rights Watch's European and Central Asian director Hugh Williamson said on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/HughAWilliamson/status/1543547722678112257:「7月1日のヌクスでの抗議中に治安要員が過度の力を行使したという未確認の報告がある。」彼は調査を求めた。
Government protests violently in early January The crushed neighbor Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry said there were concerns about the incident in Uzbekistan.
"We welcome and support the decision of Uzbekistan's Supreme Leader to stabilize the situation in the Republic of Karakalpakstan," the ministry said in a statement.
On Saturday, Mirjiyoev withdrew plans to roll back state autonomy after a protest that his statement stated that it began on Friday. (Report by Reuters, Written by Mark Trevelian, Edited by Laissa Kasorowski)
