Berlin, June 18, 2025
Today, Uzbek Forum for Human Rights publishes the report, “A Dark Cloud: No Space for Freedom of Expression in Mirziyoyev’s Uzbekistan”.
Following a liberation of the media landscape when President Mirziyoyev first came to power in 2016, the space for uncensored, critical journalism and online activism has been severely constricted through the criminalization and arbitrary detention of internet and social media users, content creators, and bloggers.
The report details the administrative and criminal cases against 21 journalists, bloggers and internet users between 2022 and early 2025, including the offense of “publicly insulting or defaming the President in the media or online”, a crime punishable with prison time.
Prosecutions of activists and bloggers under this overly broad law violate Uzbekistan’s obligations under international human rights law and has been applied to blogs, social media posts, and also photos, text messages, videos, and even audio recordings sent in private chats. Moreover, the ambiguity of the provision provides for little distinction between malicious and defamatory speech and speech that legitimately critiques the President. As a result, virtually any speech uploaded to an online medium can be potentially perceived as insulting or offensive, regardless of intent. This has created a precarious landscape for social media freedoms and a chilling effect among journalists, bloggers and social media users.
Download the report “A Dark Cloud: No Space for Freedom of Expression in Mirziyoyev’s Uzbekistan”.
