Uzbekistan politics

Human Rights Watch says Uzbek security forces “unjustifiably” used lethal force to disperse generally peaceful demonstrators this summer.

The Uzbek president scolded regional leaders for failing to address the problems of the people and laid out further investments to address economic problems.

The apparent dismissal of Rustam Inoyatov, who lost his long-held post as head of the Uzbek security services back in 2018, moves a former kingmaker off the board.

The OSCE election monitoring mission says reforms under Mirziyoyev "have not yet resulted in a genuinely pluralistic environment."

Uzbekistan's election is set for October 24.

As Mirziyoyev gears up for his second term, Uzbekistan’s foreign relations and economy are moving forward, but political and social reforms are lagging.

Jahongir Otajonov, picked by the banned Erk party as its presidential candidate, has reportedly quit the race.

The Truth and Progress party, after being rejected in April, re-applied but was again rejected by the Ministry of Justice.

The last time an Uzbek president faced a serious challenger was in 1991. Erk hasn’t been allowed to front a candidate since.

Genuine reform takes place not through quashing free thinkers and critics but in encouraging and even embracing them. 

"Despite obvious advancement in reforms in various spheres, one direction of reforms remains very slow: it is the sphere of political reforms."