The Andijan massacre of May 2005 resulted in mass civilian casualties and triggered a significant realignment of Uzbekistan's foreign policy away from the West.
Key Facts
- Date
- 13 May 2005
- Official death toll
- 187 people
- High-end estimate (SNB defector)
- 1,500 people
- US base closure ordered
- Karshi-Khanabad Air Base
- Alleged body disposal
- Mass graves
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Deep economic grievances and popular resentment in the Andijan region, compounded by political repression under the Uzbek government, created conditions for unrest. A prison break also appears to have been a precipitating factor, while the government attributed the organisation of protests to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and the group Hizb ut-Tahrir.
On 13 May 2005, large protests broke out in Andijan. Uzbek National Security Service troops opened fire on the crowd, killing a disputed number of people. Government figures placed the death toll at 187, while a defector claimed as many as 1,500 died. Bodies of the dead were reportedly hidden in mass graves in the aftermath.
Western governments called for an international investigation, which the Uzbek government rejected. In response, Uzbekistan ordered the closure of the US Karshi-Khanabad Air Base and shifted toward closer ties with Russia and China, both of which supported the government's handling of the events, marking a notable realignment in the country's geopolitical orientation.