Uzbekistan said goodbye to Islam Karimov

Almaty. September 3. Silkroadnews – A ceremony of farewell and funeral of the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov took place in Samarkand on September 3, UzTAG reports.

««Akhborot» news program showed the funeral ceremony held in accordance with the Muslim traditions. The prayer has sounded under the arches of the Registan complex. Tens of thousands of men along with the heads of foreign countries' delegations arrived in Uzbekistan attended the funeral ceremony at the Registan square», the publication says.

After praying the funeral procession moved from the Registan square to the cemetery where the president's parents buried.

To remind, on August 28 the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan reported the President I. Karimov has been hospitalized. Later the president's daughter Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva wrote her father suffered a brain hemorrhage. On September 2 the Uzbek government has reported a critical condition of I. Karimov, and on the same day the national television reported the president's death.

Today Uzbekistan announced three days of mourning.

Being the first Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist party of the Uzbek SSR I. Karimov became the head of Uzbekistan in 1989. On March 24, 1990, in the course of the session of the Supreme Soviet of the Uzbek SSR he was elected as the President.

Later I. Karimov won the general elections in 1991. In the nationwide referendum held on February 27, 2002, the presidential term was decided to extend from 5 to 7 years.