Uzbek President ‘Islam Karimov’ Dies After Suffering Stroke

MEP: Uzbekistan’s President Islam Karimov, who the government said on Friday had died at the age of 78 after suffering a stroke.

Binali Yıldırım told the Turkish cabinet in televised remarks that Karimov, the authoritarian ruler of the former Soviet republic, had “passed away” and said the country was “sharing the pain and sorrow of Uzbek people”.

He ruled for 27 years, and is accused by human rights groups of harshly repressing dissent.

In a typically feisty rebuff to Western calls to respect human rights, Karimov said in 2006: “Do not interfere in our affairs under the pretext of furthering freedom and democracy, Do not … tell us what to do, whom to befriend and how to orient ourselves.”

Uzbekistan’s state television announced the death with the presenter saying: “Dear compatriots, it is with huge grief in our hearts that we announce to you the death of our dear president.”

Uzbekistan on Thursday celebrated its independence day and it has been widely assumed that if the government was to make an announcement on his condition it would not break the news until after the festivities.

Meanwhile, world leaders, including President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, have expressed their condolences on the Uzbek president’s death.

The Uzbek government says Karimov will be buried in the city of Samarkand on Saturday.