Mustafa Tursynbaev

Mustafa Tursynbaev was a Karakalpak blogger and independent online journalist, known for his YouTube channel Nukus Online which had over 150,000 subscribers and focused on social, regional and cultural issues in Karakalpakstan. In November 2023, Tursynbaev was detained and later sentenced to five years in prison on charges of extortion (Article 165 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan). He denied the charges, noting that the evidence was a single recorded telephone conversation allegedly initiated by security services. His arrest is widely seen as an attempt to suppress his media work and freedom of expression. Tursynbaev died in custody at Penal Colony No. 7 in Uzbekistan. Authorities claimed he died in a hospital after falling into a coma following a construction site accident where a wall collapsed on him. The circumstances of his death and the lack of transparency during his trial have raised significant concerns.

Mustafa Tursynbaev Karakalpak blogger and independent online journalist, known for his YouTube channel Nukus Online which had over 150 000 subscribers and focused on social, regional and cultural issues in Karakalpakstan.