Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov "critically ill"

Image copyright Reuters

Image caption Mr Karimov has led Uzbekistan since independence in 1991

Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov is critically ill, the Uzbek government has said in a statement carried by local media.

He is reported to have been taken to hospital on Saturday after suffering a stroke. His health has sharply deteriorated over the past 24 hours, the government said on Friday.

Opposition news reports have suggested that Mr Karimov, 78, has died.

He has led the former Soviet republic since before independence in 1991.

On Sunday, the Uzbek government said Mr Karimov was receiving treatment but did not give details.

The next day, the president"s daughter said he had suffered a brain haemorrhage.

In the past, the president"s health has been treated like a state secret, the BBC"s Abdujalil Abdurasulov says, and this week"s statements are the first time the government has provided information on the subject.

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Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov "critically ill"
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