Public order restored in Uzbekistan's Nukus after mass protests: Ministry

Tashkent [Uzbekistan], July 1 (ANI/Sputnik): The public order has been restored in Nukus, the capital of the autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan in Uzbekistan, after an "illegal protest" over constitutional amendments, the Uzbek Interior Ministry said on Friday.
The media has reported that people gathered in the central outdoor market area and demanded the release of a local blogger who called for a protest against constitutional amendments. Protesters believe that Karakalpakstan may lose its right to secede from Uzbekistan via a referendum if amendments are adopted.
"On July 1, starting at about 15.00 [10:00 GMT], some citizens of Karakalpakstan, as a result of a misinterpretation of the constitutional reforms being carried out in the republic, ... protested in Nukus, after which they gathered on the territory of the central Dekhkan market and organized an illegal demonstration," the ministry said in a statement for media.
Law enforcement officers were deployed in the area to make sure that public order is not violated, the ministry added.
"Currently, public order has been restored ... work is underway with citizens to clarify the inadmissibility of violations of the law, as well as to consider citizens' appeals in order," the statement read. (ANI/Sputnik)