"A presidential decree… declares a state of emergency in the Republic of Karakalpakstan from 00:01 a.m. on July 3, 2022 to 00:00 a.m. on August 2, 2022," the presidency announced.
Earlier, he arrived in Nukus and proposed to preserve the clause on the sovereignty of the republic's autonomy in the country's constitution.
Riots broke out across Karakalpakstan on Friday over a constitutional amendment that sought to strip the province, populated by the ethnic minority of Karakalpaks, of its autonomous status. Police stepped in after protesters tried to storm administrative buildings.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan said that an illegal demonstration was held in the capital of the autonomous republic on Friday. The demonstrators 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 the amendments are adopted.