Uzbekistan
As of early 2026, Uzbekistan is navigating a complex period of "managed reform." While President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has branding his administration as the "New Uzbekistan" and has notably moved to end systemic forced labor in the cotton harvest, human rights organizations report that fundamental structural repression remains, and some civil liberties are actually backsliding.
The current situation is defined by these critical areas:
1. Freedom of Expression and "Digital Repression"
Despite the government's rhetoric of openness, the space for independent media and online commentary has tightened significantly.
"Insulting the President": Authorities frequently use Article 158 of the Criminal Code to arrest bloggers and social media users for "insulting or slandering the President online." In 2025, at least 10 individuals were sentenced to prison terms of up to seven years for social media posts.
Forced Psychiatric Detention: A disturbing trend has re-emerged where outspoken critics and bloggers are held in psychiatric hospitals against their will. As of February 2026, at least two prominent bloggers remain in forced psychiatric custody.
Harassment of Journalists: Human rights defenders like Sharifa Madrakhimova and Umida Niyazova have faced physical assaults and the destruction of travel documents to prevent them from attending international human rights forums.
2. Labor Rights and the "Quota System"
While Uzbekistan received international praise for ending the systemic forced mobilization of students and doctors to pick cotton, a new form of exploitation has emerged in the agricultural sector.
Coercive Production: A February 2026 report titled "Farmers Have No Freedom" documents how the state continues to mandate production quotas for cotton and wheat.
Land Seizures: Farmers who fail to meet these state-set quotas face threats of land seizure, fines, and even physical violence from local officials (governors).
Strategic Crop Risks: Because the state still dictates what must be grown and at what price it must be sold, the risk of forced labor remains high as farmers struggle to attract voluntary pickers at the low prices set by the government.
3. Accountability for the Karakalpakstan Protests
A major shadow over the current administration is the lack of accountability for the July 2022 protests in the autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan.
Excessive Force: Security forces used lethal force to disperse protesters, resulting in at least 21 deaths and hundreds of injuries. As of 2026, no senior officials have been held accountable for these deaths.
Political Prisoners: The Karakalpak lawyer and blogger Dauletmurat Tazhimuratov remains in prison serving a 16-year sentence. In early 2025 and 2026, his legal team reported he has been subjected to physical and mental torture, including beatings by other inmates.
4. Criminalization of LGBTQ+ Rights
Uzbekistan remains one of the few countries in the region that explicitly criminalizes consensual same-sex relations between men.
Article 120: This article of the Criminal Code allows for up to three years in prison for "besoqolbozlik" (pederasty).
Extortion and Abuse: LGBTQ+ individuals are frequent targets of police extortion. Officers often use dating apps to "sting" gay men, threatening them with criminal prosecution or "outing" them to their families unless bribes are paid.
Legislative Resistance: The government has explicitly rejected international recommendations to include sexual orientation as a protected characteristic, citing "traditional family values."
5. Torture and Detention Conditions
While the government has introduced some legal reforms—including a February 2026 bill to improve pre-trial detention conditions (such as longer walks and the right to purchase food)—the practice of torture remains "routine and pervasive."
Impunity: Investigations into allegations of torture by the State Security Service (SSS) or police rarely result in prosecutions.
Monitoring Obstacles: Independent rights groups and international monitors still face significant bureaucratic hurdles when attempting to register or gain access to detention facilities.