Three Uzbekistan police officers sentenced for mistreating detainees during Karakalpakstan riots

The Kagan City Court in Uzbekistan has sentenced three police officers to prison for mistreating detainees during the mass riots in Karakalpakstan in July 2022, Turanews.kz reports.

The two officers, identified as A.K. and B.K., were sentenced to seven years in prison each for ill-treatment and causing grievous bodily harm. The third officer, identified as Zh.A., was sentenced to one year in prison for failing to prevent the abuse.

The riots broke out in Karakalpakstan, an autonomous region in northwestern Uzbekistan, after the government proposed to abolish the region’s right to secede from the country. The protests were met with a heavy-handed response from the government, which deployed troops and tanks to the region.

The court found that the three police officers had abused their authority and beaten detainees during the riots. The officers had also denied detainees access to medical care, which resulted in the death of one detainee.

The sentences handed down by the Kagan City Court are the first to be imposed in connection with the Karakalpakstan riots. The government has said that it is committed to bringing to justice those responsible for the violence, and it is expected that more trials will be held in the coming months.

The sentencing of the three police officers is a positive development, and it sends a clear message that the government will not tolerate abuse of power.