The majority of our active citizens were justly displeased and indignant at Zakhar Prilepin's imperial pretensions. We could have reacted to his outburst with the oriental wisdom: the dog barks, the caravan marches on. But many Uzbeks took a tough civic patriotic position and did not hesitate to give Prilepin a decent response. It's worth paying tribute to Russia: representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry and the press service of the Russian Presidential Administration immediately denied Prilepin's statements, emphasising that his opinion completely contradicts the position of the Russian Federation.

The reaction to the fact described above strongly contrasts with another incident: on 25 June 2022, the official media of Uzbekistan published draft amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan, which were supposed to:

- abolish the status of the Republic of Karakalpakstan as a sovereign Republic;

- abolish for the Republic of Karakalpakstan its right to secede from the Republic of Uzbekistan on the basis of a general referendum of the people of Karakalpakstan.

For clarity, here is the draft amendments to the Constitution of RUz, proposed to citizens of Karakalpakstan on June 25, 2022:

These two incidents are incommensurable in terms of significance.

In the first case (2023), an outsider to Uzbekistan rashly said something....

But the reaction of our people was violent and negative. Have people had the right to strongly express their disagreement with the Russian? Of course, they did. And they did it! Zakhar Prilepin's speech or ignoring his speech would not have changed anything in our lives.

In the second case (2022), the official authorities announced to the Karakalpak people in a loud voice about the termination of the sovereignty of their republic if the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan is amended accordingly.

And the reaction of Karakalpaks to the draft amendments to the Constitution was violent and negative. Did the Karakalpak people, protected by the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan (1992), the Constitution of the Republic of Karakalpakstan (1993) and the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, have the right to categorically express their disagreement with the proposed draft amendments to the Constitution? Certainly, he did. And indeed, they did it! It was the indignation of many Karakalpaks and residents of Karakalpakstan that prompted the Uzbek authorities to take the correct and urgent decision: to withdraw the draft and stop its discussion.

One of the bright and competent expressors of discontent of the people of Karakalpakstan with the draft amendments to the Constitution (regarding the status of Karakalpakstan) was a son of the Karakalpak people - a patriot of Uzbekistan, lawyer, journalist Dauletmurat Tazhimuratov (or Tajimuratov - ed.). On June 30, 2022, Dauletmurat Tazhimuratov applied to hold a peaceful meeting on July 05, 2022 on the draft of amendments to the Constitution. But after his speech at 13 hours towards people (near the mosque), on July 01, he was detained. In the evening, July 01, 2022, at the request of the people, the authorities took Tazhimuratov to the market, where people gathered to demand his release. He was given the opportunity to address the crowd. In his speech, agreeing with the authorities' proposal to calm down the protesters, he asked them to separate peacefully and come to another peace meeting - July 05, to discuss the project of amendments to the Constitution.

Dauletmurat Tazhimuratov

Unfortunately, due to provocations in the crowd and incompetent actions of law enforcement agencies, a tragedy occurred and people died.

The tragic incidents on July 01, 2022 in Nukus became a signal to the authorities about their mistake. It was recognised, the project was withdrawn and its discussion was stopped.

I do not know whether any of the officials who made the mistake were punished. But I do know something else: Dauletmurat Tazhimuratov was appointed as the main guilty of the mistake made by officials and illiterate actions of law enforcers, which resulted in the death of people. Despite the unfair harsh sentence (he was sentenced to 16 years in prison, including two years in jail), it shall be recognised that he defeated the short-sighted officials: the danger of depriving Karakalpakstan of its sovereignty, thanks in part to Tazhimuratov's sacrifice, has been averted. In the new Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan of 2023, all norms on the sovereignty of the Republic of Karakalpakstan are preserved.

Dauletmurat Tazhimuratov was blamed for the tragedies on July 01-02, 2022 by law enforcement agencies and courts. I failed to persuade the court to acquit him or at least mitigate his punishment. The authority that Tazhimuratov has in Karakalpakstan should have been channelled by the authorities into strengthening ties between Karakalpakstan and Uzbekistan.

Only the president of the country can remedy the situation. Only the president can pardon Dauletmurat Tazhimuratov and release him from prison. I believe that such a decision will be timely and correct.

Citizen of the Republic of Uzbekistan, defence counsel for Dauletmural Tazhimuratov, lawyer Sergey Mayorov.