Kremlin says reports that Uzbek President is dead not confirmed

On August 29, Karimov’s daughter Lola Karimova-Tillyayeva wrote on her Instagram account that her father was in hospital due to a “cerebral haemorrhage”, adding that his condition was “stable”.

Karimov has always been the subject of rumours of ill health that are hard to verify, since information in the central Asian country is very tightly controlled. “Tashkent feels different. Officials are on edge”, Steve Swerdlow, a Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, said a year ago.

The 79-year-old strongman had been running the Uzbek republic since its independence in 1989 with an iron fist.

Karimov, who ascended to power in post-Soviet Uzbekistan in 1991, is known to have had long-standing health issues, including previous reports of a heart condition and respiratory ailments, according to Radio Free Europe.

The reports of Karimov’s death were previously dismissed by a source in the Uzbek Presidential Office.

However, Kortunov said he doesn’t think the country would be able to hold an open election in the event of Karimov dying or stepping down for health reasons.

“There are two questions now: First, is there a plan for succession we don’t know about? Second, even if there is, will the principals stick to it?”

Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Azimov, or security service head Rustam Inoyatov could emerge as potential successors.

Rabbimov said Karimov over the years has permitted only “the weakest of the politicians” to lead the Senate to ensure that Karimov retained overall control. “They called him ‘papa’s favorite.’ Papa is Karimov”.

Karimov grew up in an orphanage in the ancient city of Samarkand and went on to study mechanical engineering and economics.

The wily leader has played Russia, China and the West against each other to ensure Uzbekistan avoided total isolation.

“For the moment we do not have any fresh information”.