On August 26, activist Sagandyk Nurimbetov from Karakalpak disappeared from a clinic in Tashkent, where he wanted to undergo a 10-day course of treatment.
Staff of the medical facility assured human rights activists that he left the building to visit his relatives and disappeared. After the leader of the initiative group “Human Rights Alliance of Uzbekistan” Elena Urlaeva started calling law enforcement agencies about the abduction, strangers contacted Sagandyk’s wife and promised to take Nazgul with insulin and syringes to her husband, who has diabetes. After leaving, the connection with the couple was lost.
In an interview with an ACCA journalist, Elena said that “Sagandyk called and asked not to make a fuss, as he was returning to Karakalpakstan”. However, she is not sure of the identity of the caller.
Shortly before the events, another activist from Nukus contacted the leader of the Human Rights Alliance of Uzbekistan. A member of the political council of the unregistered party “Alga, Karakalpakstan” Amantay Seytmuratov spoke about months of house arrest and constant calls without a summons to the District Department of Internal Affairs.
Both Nurimbetov and Seytmuratov are supporters of the full sovereignty of Karakalpakstan, that’s why they are closely monitored by the special services.
On September 1, Uzbekistan celebrates the 30th anniversary of gaining independence, and the authorities have resorted to blocking and physical violence against activists – a proven means since the days of Islam Karimov.
Earlier, ACCA wrote that six residents of Karakalpakstan died after torture in the building of the Department of Internal Affairs of Takhiatash district during three years. On July 15, political activist Nazlymkhan Turymbetova was detained while taking her children to kindergarten. Then she was tortured with an electric shock, demanding to admit guilt in organizing a protest action on July 13 against the change-over of the Karakalpak language to the Latin alphabet.
Numerous other facts of violence were recorded. On July 15, information appeared about the riots in Khojeyli, where more than 14 people were taken to the District Department of Internal Affairs. It was also reported about detentions in other districts of Karakalpakstan. Aidos and Aksungul Zhumanazarov (brother and sister), human rights activist Konyrabai Redzhepov and another young man were arrested. In the cities of Khojeyli, Nukus, Kungrad, Chimbay, the police summoned dozens of people for interrogation. Then a resident of Khojeyli, Zulfiya Primyarova, was beaten by officials of the regional hokimiyat (local administration) and three employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
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