Karakalpakstan

Human Rights Watch is calling on Uzbekistan to guarantee the safety of a lawyer from Karakalpakstan, an autonomous republic in western Uzbekistan. The appeal follows concerns for the lawyer's security amid the government's ongoing crackdown on dissent in the region, which intensified after the 2022 protests in Karakalpakstan. Rights groups have repeatedly urged Tashkent to end persecution of lawyers and activists defending detained government critics.