An activist in Uzbekistan, jailed on charges of fomenting the worst bout of violence in the Central Asian nation in almost two decades, is renewing allegations of mistreatment by prison officials.

Dauletmurat Tazhimuratov, a lawyer by training, received a 16-year sentence in early 2023 for his alleged leading role in mass protests the previous year in Nukus, the capital of the autonomous region of Karakalpakstan, which straddles the receding Aral Sea. He maintains his prosecution was politically motivated.

A statement from Human Rights Watch on April 1, citing his lawyer who recently visited him in prison, says authorities are subjecting Tazhimuratov to ongoing “mental and physical abuse,” including seizing his “uneaten food before he could break his fast, which he was keeping during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.” In addition, Tazhimuratov in recent weeks has been assaulted by other inmates reportedly at the behest of prison guards, had his writings confiscated and had telephone conversations with family members cut short, according to HRW.

Tazhimuratov’s defense lawyer alleges that officials have quashed recent efforts to file formal complaints over his treatment and prison conditions.

“It’s important that obligations to prevent, investigate, and punish acts of prohibited treatment are met and that officials promptly investigate Tazhimuratov’s allegations and ensure he comes to no harm while in prison,” the HRW statement said.

This is not the first time Tazhimuratov has reported experiencing abuse behind bars. He earlier said he was repeatedly beaten while in pre-trial detention and complained about humiliating treatment in mid-2023.

The 2022 protests that led to Tazhimuratov’s imprisonment erupted in response to an abortive initiative by the Uzbek government to make constitutional changes that would have downgraded Karakalpakstan’s autonomous status. Authorities ultimately declared a state of emergency and called in riot police to crush the protests. An HRW investigation accused Uzbek authorities of “unjustifiably used lethal force” on largely peaceful demonstrators during the July 1-2, 2022, bout of unrest.