Polat Shamshetov

Former chief of Karakalpakstan Interior Ministry’s Criminal Investigation Department

Date Detained: Around 04–06 July 2022
Current Status:

Died in custody (4 Feb 2023)

Charges Indicted:

Inciting and taking part in mass unrest Article 244 Part 3 of Uzbekistan Criminal Code

Trial Details:

He was tried with other defendants in the first trial of 22 in Bukhara Regional Court and sentenced on 31 Jan 2023 to 6 years in prison before his death.

The Bukhara trial followed the July 2022 events in Nukus, the capital of Karakalpakstan, where mass protests broke out after draft constitutional amendments proposed removing the region’s autonomous status and right to secede. The demonstrations were met with a violent security response, resulting in deaths, injuries, and mass arrests. The Uzbek authorities later withdrew the controversial amendments.

In 2023, key cases related to these events were transferred from Karakalpakstan to Bukhara, with officials citing security and neutrality concerns. The trial involved activists, journalists, and civic figures accused of organizing mass unrest and attempting to undermine the constitutional order. Several defendants received lengthy prison sentences, while some were acquitted or given reduced terms. The proceedings drew international criticism, particularly over due process, transparency, and the criminalization of dissent linked to the Nukus protests

Prison Details:

Sentenced to 6 years in prison (sentence later annulled after his death). He died while held in a Bukhara pre-trial detention centre.

Health Condition:

Died in detention of pulmonary embolism and acute heart failure on 4 Feb 2023 (cause given by authorities).

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