It has been two decades since the tragic events in Andijan, Uzbekistan, where security forces opened fire on a largely peaceful assembly of protesters and bystanders on May 13, 2005. This incident resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths and injuries, prompting many to flee to neighboring Kyrgyzstan.
The late President Islam Karimov’s administration attributed the protests to “religious fundamentalists.” The authorities pursued individuals suspected of involvement or who witnessed the massacre. Families of those who fled faced ongoing pressure from the government for their relatives’ return.
In the aftermath of the Andijan Massacre, Uzbekistan experienced a political crackdown, with numerous human rights defenders and journalists wrongfully imprisoned. Various international organizations investigated the massacre and its consequences. Initially, both the European Union and the United States condemned the violence and called for an independent investigation but later ceased public demands for accountability.
The Uzbek government never initiated an independent inquiry into these events, leaving no one accountable for the severe human rights violations committed during that time.
Following Karimov’s death in 2016, a new government assumed power. Despite some changes over nine years, certain patterns of abuse continue.
In July 2022, widespread protests erupted in Karakalpakstan after proposed constitutional amendments threatened its autonomous status. Though these proposals were retracted following public outcry, security forces used excessive force against mainly peaceful demonstrators. At least 21 people died as a result.
The government’s response to both large-scale protests was similar: employing lethal force to suppress dissent while blaming alleged organizers. Dauletmurat Tajimuratov, a blogger and lawyer accused of orchestrating the Karakalpakstan protests, remains imprisoned on questionable charges. The U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has urged his immediate release due to violations of international human rights law.
A parliamentary commission formed in July 2022 to investigate Karakalpakstan’s events presented its findings in December 2024 but has not disclosed them publicly. In August 2023, an Uzbek court sentenced three police officers for offenses related to these events; however, no other officials have faced consequences for protester deaths or injuries.
Addressing past abuses in Andijan is not prioritized by current leadership nor is addressing recent rights abuses in Karakalpakstan. Yet accountability remains crucial today as it was years ago. On this anniversary, remembering those lost is vital alongside calls for justice through independent investigations into historical and recent human rights violations.
International partners such as the European Union and United States are encouraged to renew calls for accountability regarding atrocities committed both in Andijan and more recently within Karakalpakstan.
