Dauletmurat Tajimuratov
A court in Navoi, Uzbekistan, on May 1, 2026, declared Karakalpak prisoner Dauletmurat Tajimuratov a particularly dangerous repeat offender and handed him an additional five-year sentence while he was already serving a 16-year term, according to Karakalpak activist Akylbek Muratbay.
The new case against Tajimuratov was brought under Article 220 of Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code, which covers actions deemed to disrupt the operation of a penal institution.
According to Tajimuratov, his lawyer and relatives, the prosecution stemmed from his reaction to provocations, insults and humiliation by prison officials.
Muratbay said the court partially merged the sentences, setting the effective additional term at 2.5 years and bringing Tajimuratov’s total sentence to 18.5 years.
Since his arrest in July 2022, Tajimuratov has spent nearly four years in custody, including about two years in prison-type conditions. Muratbay added that the new ruling means he now faces another 2.5 years in such detention and must be transferred from a correctional colony to a prison-regime facility.
Tajimuratov, born in 1979, is a Karakalpak lawyer, journalist and human rights defender from Nukus. Before his arrest, he edited the local newspaper El Khizmetinde, provided free legal aid and supported social and infrastructure projects in underserved areas.
He emerged as one of the most prominent leaders of the July 2022 protests in Nukus against proposed constitutional changes affecting Karakalpakstan’s autonomous status, and was arrested on July 4, 2022.
In January 2023, a court in Bukhara sentenced him to 16 years in prison on charges including organizing mass unrest and attempting to seize power. The conviction was later upheld on appeal.
Human Rights Watch and other rights groups have described the case against Tajimuratov as politically motivated and have repeatedly raised concerns about his treatment in custody.
Since his arrest, Tajimuratov has repeatedly reported torture, beatings, prolonged isolation, inadequate medical care and poor detention conditions, allegations echoed by his lawyer and international rights organizations.
In November 2024, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found that his imprisonment was arbitrary and called for his immediate release.
In January 2026, UN Special Rapporteur Mary Lawlor again called for Tajimuratov’s immediate release and for guarantees of his safety, citing fresh allegations of torture and ill-treatment in Navoi prison.
