Islam Karimov

Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov (30 January 1938 – 2 September 2016) was an Uzbek politician who served as the first president of Uzbekistan, from the country's independence in 1991 until his death in 2016. He was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Uzbekistan from 1989 to 1991, the last to hold the post. The party was reconstituted as the People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (O‘zXDP); which Karimov led until 1996. He was the President of the Uzbek SSR from 24 March 1990 until he declared the independence of Uzbekistan on 1 September 1991.

He declared Uzbekistan as an independent nation on 31 August 1991. He subsequently won the presidential election on 30 December 1991, with 86% of the vote. Foreign observers and the opposition cited voting irregularities, alleging state-run propaganda and a falsified vote count. Karimov's first presidential term was extended to 2000 by way of a referendum, and he was re-elected in 2000, 2007 and 2015, each time receiving over 90% of the vote. Karimov initially developed strong ties with the West during the War on Terror, but following the Andijan massacre and subsequent Western condemnation, Uzbekistan moved closer to Russia and China internationally.

He ruled a repressive authoritarian regime in Uzbekistan where political opponents were assassinated, human rights were repressed, and dissent was prohibited. He died from a stroke on 2 September 2016, after being president of the country for 25 years.