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On Saturday, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev proclaimed a month-long state of emergency in the Province of Karakalpakstan, an autonomous republic in northeastern Uzbekistan.
Protests erupted earlier this week in the region against planned constitutional amendments, according to Anadolu Agency.
President Mirziyoyev, on the other hand, stated that the legal status of independent Karakalpakstan will not alter.
“It is critical to preserve the basic standards of the Republic of Karakalpakstan’s legal status,” he said, adding that “we will unquestionably establish a new Uzbekistan and a new Karakalpakstan together.”
According to the official order, the state of emergency would last from July 3 to August 2.
The decree restricts entry and exit from the province, and all public events are outlawed. It also imposes temporary limits for the safety of public order, such as banning vehicle access and searches on individuals, according to Anadolu Agency.
Mirziyoyev visited Nukus, the region’s capital, where demonstrators attempted to attack government facilities, and said that reforms affecting Karakalpakstan will remain intact.
Earlier, it was stated that public order had been restored in Nukus. According to media reports, people gathered in the central outdoor market area to demand the release of a local blogger who called for a demonstration against constitutional revisions. Protesters worry that if modifications are adopted, Karakalpakstan’s right to separate from Uzbekistan via referendum will be lost, according to Sputnik.
“On July 1, starting about 15.00 (10:00 GMT), several Karakalpakstan residents… protested in Nukus, after which they gathered on the grounds of the central Dekhkan market and formed an illegal protest,” the ministry said in a media statement.
According to the ministry, law enforcement officers were deployed in the area to ensure that public order was not disturbed.
“At the moment, public order has been restored… “Work is being done with people to clarify the inadmissibility of law infractions and to consider citizens’ appeals in the proper order,” the statement said.
