Parakhat Musapbarov
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 imprisoned in Uzbekistan, serving a custodial sentence imposed by a local criminal court. As of 2025, he remains in detention.
Musapbarov was convicted under multiple provisions of the Uzbek Criminal Code, including:
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Article 158, Part 3 — Insulting the president online
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Article 159, Part 1 — Attempting to overthrow or encroach on the constitutional order
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Article 244-1, Part 3(d) — Producing or distributing materials that threaten public security or public order
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Article 244-2, Part 1 — Participation in or management of a banned extremist organization
These charges were linked to his documented support for the ideas of Alga Karakalpakstan, which Uzbekistan’s Supreme Court declared an extremist organization in February 2024, and to posts and comments he had made on Telegram and other platforms.
On 30 May 2024, the Khodjeyli District Criminal Court convicted Musapbarov on the above charges. Prosecutors alleged that while residing in the Mangystau Region of Kazakhstan he had issued and shared numerous online posts encouraging support for the Alga Karakalpakstan movement, including calls to protest and criticism of national authorities. According to court documents reviewed by rights monitors, Musapbarov denied many of the allegations, saying he had only once sent a video supporting a jailed activist. The verdict relied heavily on evidence from his social-media posts and the official designation of Alga Karakalpakstan as “extremist”.
Musapbarov was sentenced to 6 years’ imprisonment and is being held in Uzbekistan’s penal system under a general-regime incarceration. Specific details on the exact facility have not been publicly disclosed in open sources, reflecting the limited transparency in the country’s criminal-justice reporting on political cases.
There are no publicly available independent reports on Musapbarov’s health condition during detention. Sources discussing his case focus primarily on the legal charges and the political context of his conviction.
