UZBEKISTAN AFTER KARIMOV: NO PROGRESS ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Igor Kotler
After the death of President Islam Karimov in 2016, there was cautious optimism that Uzbekistan might embark on a path toward greater human rights protections and democratic reforms. However, under President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the country has remained one of the most authoritarian regimes in the post-Soviet region.
While the government has taken superficial steps toward reform—such as releasing a small number of political prisoners and easing certain media restrictions—these measures have failed to bring about meaningful institutional change. Instead, the state continues to enforce its authority through arbitrary detentions, political crackdowns, and strict limitations on fundamental freedoms, including speech, assembly, and association. The State Security Service (SGB) remains a primary tool of repression, employing surveillance, intimidation, and harassment to stifle dissent, suppress independent journalism, and target human rights advocates. In reality, the regime suppresses human rights in the country as well as political rights of the citizens. Uzbekistan has a significant number of political prisoners.
