UN, US urge probe into deadly Uzbekistan unrest

New York: UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet and the United States both called Tuesday for a swift investigation into the deadly clashes at mass protests in Uzbekistan. Authorities in Uzbekistan said that 18 people had been killed in clashes in the autonomous Karakalpakstan region on Friday after demonstrations erupted over planned constitutional changes affecting the territory’s status.

The unrest, pitting protesters against security forces, represented the most significant challenge yet to the rule of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev since he rose to power from the post of prime minister in 2016 when long-serving mentor Islam Karimov died. The United States separately voiced concern and urged all sides to seek a peaceful resolution to the tensions.

State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement that, they urge authorities to pursue a full, credible and transparent investigation into the violence, consistent with international norms and best practices. Uzbekistan is a former Soviet republic and a traditional ally of Russia, which has been facing international pressure over its military operation in Ukraine.

The Kremlin said that President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday spoke by telephone with Mirziyoyev and expressed support for the efforts of the leadership of Uzbekistan to stabilise the situation in Karakalpakstan. The size of the protest was unusually large for Central Asia and prompted Uzbek authorities to decree a month-long state of emergency in the impoverished western region.