“A total of 171 people are accused of organizing public riots in Karakalpakstan” – Prosecutor General’s Office

A total of 171 persons are accused in the criminal case initiated in connection with the state of mass disturbances in the Republic of Karakalpakstan on July 1-2, 2022. The PGO informed about this in response to the request of the Independent Commission established to study the events of Karakalpakstan.

It is noted that 516 persons were initially arrested within the framework of the criminal case, 5 of them were placed under house arrest, and 166 were applied preventive measures in the form of imprisonment for the crimes provided for in the Criminal Code. In relation to the rest of the offenders, the court imposed a prison sentence within the framework of administrative responsibility.

The preventive measures applied against 107 accused persons who were detained were changed based on the requests made by the Independent Commission, public inquiry and vouching and the Deputies Corps. 10 of them were put under house arrest, and 97 were released from prison under community guaranty measures. During the investigation, 14 other defendants under house arrest were also remanded in custody.

It is noted that the part of the criminal case concerning 22 persons (20 persons were imprisoned, 1 person was under community guarantee and 1 person was under house arrest) was completed with the indictment and sent to the court, and the criminal case related to the rest of the defendants and other cases was assigned for separate proceedings.

“Investigative efforts in connection with the separate criminal case are being completed, 39 defendants in the case are in prison,” the report presented to the Independent Commission by the PGO reads.

It should be recalled that after the Nukus riots on July 1-2, the president introduced a state of emergency in the territory of Karakalpakstan for a period of one month.

In July, the Legislative Chamber and the Senate reported that an independent commission was formed to conduct an independent investigation into the events of Karakalpakstan, which will be headed by Ombudsman Feruza Eshmatova. The members of the independent commission started working again on August 15.

Earlier, the Independent Commission turned to the Prosecutor General’s Office and asked to clarify the situations that arise during the participation in the legal proceedings related to the events of Karakalpakstan, and which are causing concern to the representatives of the general population.