Country: Uzbekistan — Political Prisoner Database

Zhangeldy Zhaksymbetov

Zhangeldy Zhaksymbetov was arrested in Kazakhstan as part of a crackdown on Karakalpak diaspora activists. His arrest was linked to extradition requests from Uzbekistan.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Oydin Rustamova

Oydin Rustamova is a teacher sentenced to between five and six years of restricted freedom on dubious extortion charges. She is one of several co-defendants in a case described as a crackdown on activism.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 27, 2026

Aqylbek Muratbai

Aqylbek Muratbai is a Karakalpak human rights defender who has been raising awareness about human rights violations committed by Uzbekistani authorities in Karakalpakstan. He faced judicial harassment and detention related to his advocacy and support for the Karakalpak diaspora.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 27, 2026

Raisa Khudaibergenova

Raisa Khudaibergenova was arrested in Kazakhstan during a wave of detentions targeting Karakalpak activists. These arrests were driven by pressure from the Uzbek government.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Tleubike Yuldasheva

Tleubike Yuldasheva is one of the diaspora activists who was arrested in Kazakhstan following requests from Uzbekistan. She was part of a series of arrests targeting Karakalpak activists.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Shukrullo Parpiev

Shukrullo Parpiev is a human rights activist and business owner sentenced to between five and six years of restricted freedom. He was implicated in a group extortion case that rights groups describe as baseless.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Kattakurgan, Samarkand region

Social media

Dilshod Iskandarov

Dilshod Iskandarov is a social media user who was sentenced to 2.5 years in a penal colony on 26 October 2023. He was convicted by the Kattakurgan District Court in the Samarkand region for an Instagram comment deemed insulting to the president's family. He returned from Russia voluntarily after learning of the criminal case.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Musallam Umirova

Musallam Umirova is an employee of the Republican Social Security Society sentenced to between five and six years of restricted freedom. She was included as a defendant in the same extortion case as the other activists.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Otkirbek Sobirov

Otkirbek Sobirov is a social media user active in a Telegram group focused on local gas issues (reported as “Kokand methane gas”). His case is tied to posts and messages made in late January 2023, following which police searched and seized his phone and initiated proceedings. He was convicted by a court in Fergana for his online activities, which authorities interpreted as calls for demonstrations and the removal of the president amid gas and electricity shortages. He was sentenced to serve time in a general-regime prison colony.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Yusuf Ruzimurodov

A journalist who was tried alongside Muhammad Bekjanov in 1999. He received an additional sentence in May 2014, though the specific duration was not disclosed.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Shahrikhan district, Andijan region

Journalism

Otabek Akhliddinov

Otabek Akhliddinov is a physician, independent blogger, and member of the human rights organisation Ezgulik. Before his arrest, he served as the head of the Reception and Diagnostic Department at a hospital in Shahrikhan district, Andijan region, and regularly published on social and local governance issues affecting the medical sector and local residents. He was convicted on charges of extortion and embezzlement, which are believed to be politically motivated responses to his reporting on corruption. His sentence was increased from 5 years and 1 month to 7 years and 1 month upon appeal.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Farogat Mamatova

Farogat Mamatova is a teacher sentenced to between five and six years of restricted freedom on dubious extortion charges. She was part of a group of defendants targeted in a case involving local school officials.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Shakhnoza Safarova

Shakhnoza Safarova is a teacher sentenced to between five years of restricted freedom on dubious extortion charges. She is one of several co-defendants in a case targeting local activists.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 27, 2026

Nauryzbay Menlibayev

Nauryzbay Menlibayev is an activist currently seeking refugee status in Europe. His case is being monitored by human rights organizations due to potential risks in Central Asia.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Kabul Dusov

Kabul Dusov Blogger and social-media commentator known for publishing critical videos about local officials and public institutions in Uzbekistan. He was active on platforms such as YouTube and Facebook, where he addressed alleged corruption and governance problems. Former district council deputy.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Kashkadarya/Qarshi, Uzbekistan

Activism

Nargiz Keldiyorova, Dildora Khakimova

Human rights groups are calling for the release of activists Nargiz Keldiyorova and Dildora Khakimova, who were sentenced on dubious extortion charges. The case is highlighted by the urgent medical needs of Khakimova, a cancer patient who recently gave birth while in detention.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Umida Niyazova

Human rights activist Umida Niyazova was ambushed and intimidated by unidentified men in the Fergana region while conducting labor rights monitoring. The incident suggests she may have been under surveillance, as the attackers knew her specific itinerary and location.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Dildora Khakimova

Dildora Khakimova is a teacher, blogger, and civil-society activist who publicly criticized corruption in the education system and provided support to community members. She was arrested in February 2024 and convicted in July 2024 on charges of extortion, which rights groups describe as baseless retaliation for her activism. Khakimova gave birth to a child in mid-September 2024 while in detention. Human rights organizations have raised serious concerns regarding the inadequate conditions for the newborn within the detention facility. Furthermore, she suffers from breast cancer that reportedly requires urgent specialized treatment which has not been adequately provided.

HEALTH RISK

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Samarkand Psychiatric Clinic

Activism

Valijon Kalonov

Valijon Kalonov is a blogger and social media activist; commentator on politics, human rights, and government policy. He was arrested on 15 August 2021 at his home in Jizzakh region during preparations for the October 2021 presidential election. As of late 2025 / early 2026, he remains detained indefinitely in a psychiatric institution under compulsory psychiatric treatment following a court ruling. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in February 2025 found his ongoing detention arbitrary under international law and recommended his immediate release.

URGENT ACTION

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Alisher Tursunov

Alisher Tursunov is an independent Islamic scholar, cleric, religious media founder, and commentator. He established and led Azon New Media and later Azon Global, online platforms combining religious content, social commentary, radio and video intended for Uzbek-language audiences. After being deported from Türkiye in May 2025, he was sentenced to 2.5 years of imprisonment on October 8, 2025. He was initially held in Penal Colony No. 5 in the Navoi region but was transferred to a specialized medical facility in Tashkent in early 2026 due to serious deteriorating health conditions.

HEALTH RISK

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Tashkent, Mirabad District

political

Nozimjon Abdullayev

Nozimjon Abdullayev, a former government official and former head of State Inspection under the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. He was convicted of treason and violation of privacy in a closed-door trial. Abdullayev denies all charges, asserting that the prosecution's claims are linked to an article published by the independent media outlet "ElTuz" regarding corruption. During pre-trial detention, Abdullayev reported being subjected to torture by security officers and threats from other inmates to coerce false testimony. His health is in critical condition due to type 2 diabetes, which has been exacerbated by the withholding of medication and physical abuse, including burns and beatings.

URGENT ACTION

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Domodedovo Airport, Moscow, Karakalpakstan

Activism

Zhetkerbai Abdramanov

Zhetkerbai Abdramanov is a civic activist who worked as a vendor at a market in Almaty, Kazakhstan. He was detained for distributing materials expressing disagreement with constitutional changes in Uzbekistan that would abolish the sovereignty of Karakalpakstan. On December 26, 2024, he was abducted at Domodedovo Airport in Moscow and unlawfully transferred to Uzbekistan. On April 29, 2025, the Nukus City Court sentenced him to house arrest for 4 years and 7 months.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Khodjeyli District, Karakalpakstan

Activism

Parakhat Musapbarov

Parakhat Musapbarov is an activist involved in advocacy for Karakalpakstan right for sovereignty and political rights. His online activity included commentary and engagement with groups such as Alga Karakalpakstan (organization banned as “extremist” by a decision of the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan on 22.02.2024 because authorities claim it promotes separatism, encourages protests against the constitutional order, and spreads materials viewed as threatening public security and territorial integrity; however, international human-rights groups dispute this designation, arguing the movement has mainly engaged in peaceful political advocacy and online expression, and that Uzbekistan’s broad extremism laws are often used to criminalize dissent rather than address genuine violence.). Musapbarov was detained on 29 February 2024 by Uzbek law-enforcement officers in Khodjeyli District, Karakalpakstan, following an investigation into his online statements and alleged connections with activism promoting regional rights. He was convicted on 30 May 2024 by the Khodjeyli District Criminal Court and sentenced to 6 years’ imprisonment.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Akylbek Muratov

Akylbek Muratov was detained in Kazakhstan at the request of Uzbekistan for his diaspora activism. He faces charges related to inciting riots and threatening public safety.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

unknown

Documented Cases.

Zhangeldy Zhaksymbetov

Oydin Rustamova

Aqylbek Muratbai

Raisa Khudaibergenova

Tleubike Yuldasheva

Shukrullo Parpiev

Dilshod Iskandarov

Musallam Umirova

Otkirbek Sobirov

Yusuf Ruzimurodov

Otabek Akhliddinov

Farogat Mamatova

Shakhnoza Safarova

Nauryzbay Menlibayev

Kabul Dusov

Nargiz Keldiyorova, Dildora Khakimova

Umida Niyazova

Dildora Khakimova

Valijon Kalonov

Alisher Tursunov

Nozimjon Abdullayev

Zhetkerbai Abdramanov

Parakhat Musapbarov

Akylbek Muratov