Dauletmurat Tazhimuratov

Dauletmurat Tazhimuratov is a Karakalpak lawyer, journalist, and human rights defender who played a leading role in the 2022 Karakalpak protests. In January 2023, he was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment for "orchestrating mass riots" and "attempting to seize power" in what Human Rights Watch described as a politically motivated trial. In November 2023, the United Nations issued a statement calling on the Uzbek government to stop the persecution of Tazhimuratov and other defenders of minority rights. In May 2026, Tazhimuratov was sentenced to an additional five years in prison, bringing his current sentence up to 18.5 years.