Justice - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 1 - 6 of 576

Drug Trafficking

Uzbekistan Toughens Anti-Drug Laws as Synthetic Narcotics and Online Trafficking Rise

Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has approved tougher measures against drug trafficking and endorsed reforms aimed at protecting public health, particularly among young people, as authorities respond to the growing spread of synthetic drugs and internet-based narcotics sales. According to the presidential press service, Mirziyoyev reviewed proposed legislative changes aimed at protecting public health and the nation’s gene pool from drug abuse. The review also covered road safety concerns. Officials outlined the significance of a recently adopted law that increases criminal liability for the illegal circulation of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their analogues, and other potent substances. The legislation, which had already been passed by parliament, introduces a new chapter in Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code titled “Crimes Against Public Health and the Nation’s Gene Pool.” Mirziyoyev signed the law following the presentation. The new provisions increase penalties for a range of offenses considered particularly dangerous to public health. They also introduce separate criminal liability for organizing illegal drug laboratories, facilitating drug trafficking operations, and running premises used for the illegal distribution or consumption of narcotics. More than 10 categories of drug-related crimes will face tougher punishment under the law. Officials told the president that Uzbekistan’s drug situation has changed significantly in recent years. Traditional narcotics are increasingly being replaced by synthetic drugs, while trafficking methods have shifted toward online platforms and contactless delivery systems. The emergence of clandestine drug laboratories inside the country has also highlighted the need for updated legal and institutional responses. A separate draft law, “On Narcotic Drugs and Potent Substances,” prepared by an interagency working group, was also presented. The proposed legislation identifies seven priority areas of state policy. These include raising public awareness, particularly among women and young people, preventing drug-related crimes committed online, and improving systems for early prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and social rehabilitation of people suffering from addiction. The draft law would also clearly define the responsibilities of 14 government agencies involved in combating drug trafficking and drug-related crime. Authorities plan to tighten oversight of the legal circulation of controlled substances through a digital monitoring system that would track them from import and production to distribution and sale. The presentation also addressed road safety. Officials noted that some traffic accidents resulting in serious injuries or fatalities had involved minors driving vehicles unlawfully. In response, proposals were discussed to improve enforcement mechanisms and increase accountability for such violations. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Mirziyoyev dismissed several senior officials from the Interior Ministry in January, as well as from the National Guard and Emergency Situations Ministry. Among those removed was the head of the Agency for Control of Narcotics and Illegal Firearms, who was criticized for failing to effectively combat the illegal trafficking and use of drugs.

FIFA World Cup

Uzbekistan Seeks Explanation After World Cup Team Subjected to Security Checks in New York

Uzbekistan’s national football team was subjected to extensive security checks before a friendly match against the Netherlands in New York, prompting the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to seek an official explanation from United States authorities. The incident took place ahead of Uzbekistan’s final warm-up match before its historic debut at the FIFA World Cup. Videos showing players and coaching staff undergoing detailed inspections upon arrival at Icahn Stadium on Randalls Island circulated widely on social media and were later reported by the New York Post. According to the report, members of Uzbekistan’s delegation were searched with handheld metal detectors after stepping off their team bus. Team equipment was also inspected before players were allowed to enter the stadium. Similar security procedures were reportedly carried out on Senegal’s national team during its stay in the U.S. The footage quickly attracted international attention, with some observers questioning whether the measures were excessive for national teams participating in an international sporting event. Speaking to the Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport, Uzbekistan head coach Fabio Cannavaro downplayed the controversy. The former World Cup-winning captain said the procedures were part of standard security protocols in the U.S. “It was a normal check. Similar procedures are carried out at airports. In America, they are often conducted directly on the tarmac,” Cannavaro said, referring to inspections involving metal detectors and drug-sniffing dogs. The security checks come amid heightened scrutiny surrounding travel and border procedures ahead of the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup. Corriere dello Sport reported that several national teams and supporters have experienced difficulties entering the U.S. Iranian officials have complained about visa-related issues affecting members of their delegation and supporters, while Iraqi striker Aymen Hussein was reportedly detained for several hours for questioning at Chicago airport. Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sought official clarification from U.S. authorities through the country’s Consulate General in New York. Foreign Ministry spokesman Omonulla Fayziev said diplomats had contacted the relevant U.S. authorities and requested an official explanation regarding the circumstances surrounding the inspections. “While we understand that security measures are implemented in accordance with each country’s internal regulations, we believe it is important that such procedures do not undermine the spirit of sporting events, including mutual respect and friendly relations,” Fayziev said. Despite the pre-match controversy, Uzbekistan delivered a strong performance against the Netherlands. The Dutch side secured a 2-1 victory, but both of its goals came from penalties. Uzbekistan appeared to have earned a draw when Igor Sergeev scored in stoppage time, only for a late penalty to give the Netherlands the win. The match marked Uzbekistan’s final preparation before the country’s first-ever appearance at the FIFA World Cup. Reuters reported that Uzbekistan is due to face Colombia in its Group K opener on June 17.

Stalking

Kazakhstan Considers Tougher Penalties for Repeat Stalking Offenses

Kazakhstan is considering prison terms of up to five years for repeat stalking offenders under proposed amendments discussed in the Majilis, the lower house of parliament. Criminal liability for stalking, defined as repeated unwanted attempts to establish contact with or track a person against their will, was introduced in Kazakhstan in 2025. Current penalties include a fine of up to 200 times the monthly calculation index, corrective labor in the same amount, community service of up to 200 hours, or arrest for up to 50 days. If stalking is accompanied by violence, threats, blackmail, or privacy violations, offenders may face additional charges under other provisions of the Criminal Code, carrying prison terms of up to two years. Speaking at the parliamentary roundtable, Amangeldy Doszhanov, deputy head of the Interior Ministry’s Investigative Department, said authorities have opened 274 criminal cases since the law entered into force. Of those, 83 have been sent to court and 59 have resulted in convictions. Participants in the discussion argued that the current legislation does not adequately distinguish between isolated incidents and prolonged, systematic harassment. "The same punishment currently applies both to one-off cases of unwanted communication and to systematic stalking," said Assel Tokayeva, a member of the Astana Bar Association and chair of the disciplinary commission of Kazakhstan’s National Bar Association. Deputy Interior Minister Sanzhar Adilov said law enforcement agencies had encountered cases in which individuals convicted of stalking resumed their behavior after serving their sentences. "We are currently considering amendments to Article 115-1 of the Criminal Code," Adilov told lawmakers. "We propose introducing repeat offending as an aggravating factor and strengthening criminal liability." Under the proposed changes, repeat stalking offenses would be classified as crimes of medium gravity and could carry prison sentences of up to five years. The roundtable also reviewed measures aimed at preventing violence against women and expanding protections for victims of domestic abuse. According to Adilov, courts have prohibited 49 domestic abusers from approaching their victims since the beginning of the year, while special behavioral restrictions have been imposed on 9,200 offenders. More than 8,300 of them have been banned from consuming alcohol. The Interior Ministry reported that more than 41,000 people have been held administratively liable in domestic violence-related cases this year, while more than 11,000 offenders have received administrative arrest sentences. More than 10,000 people have also been punished for violating court-imposed restrictions and ordered to undergo mandatory psychological correction programs. Kazakhstan is not alone in expanding legal protections against stalking. As The Times of Central Asia previously reported, neighboring Kyrgyzstan moved earlier this year to introduce criminal liability for stalking as part of wider efforts to address gender-based violence.

Counter-Terrorism

Kyrgyzstan Says 31 Suspected KTJ and Islamic State Members Detained in Southern Operation

Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security, or GKNB, said it detained 31 suspected members of Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad and Islamic State during an overnight counterterrorism operation in the southern Osh and Batken regions. The operation took place on the night of June 8-9. Authorities imposed a legal counterterrorist-operation regime in Osh, Kyzyl-Kiya, Kara-Suu district, and Uch-Korgon village in Kadamjay district. The GKNB said the suspects had planned attacks against law enforcement officers and religious figures. Security officers detained 11 people in Osh region and 20 in Batken region. During searches, officers seized religious extremist literature, electronic storage devices with extremist materials, four unregistered firearms, symbols of terrorist groups, and money that the GKNB said was intended to finance terrorist structures abroad. The GKNB said its chairman, Jumgalbek Shabdanbekov, directed the operation in real time from a situation center. Operational headquarters included staff from the Interior Ministry, Border Service, Defense Ministry, Emergency Situations Ministry, Health Ministry, presidential envoys in the regions, and Osh city officials. “The special operation was carried out in strict accordance with the law,” the GKNB said in a statement carried by local media. The committee said its Main Investigation Department was checking the detainees’ links, possible accomplices, and financing channels. The suspects were not named, and the GKNB statement did not give their ages, citizenship, or the legal articles under which the case is proceeding. The detainees were placed in the GKNB’s temporary detention facility. Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad appears on the UN Security Council’s ISIL and Al-Qaida sanctions list as Khatiba al-Tawhid wal-Jihad, or KTJ. The UN added the group to the list on March 7, 2022, for its association with Al-Qaida-linked groups. The UN entry says KTJ was formerly known as Jannat Oshiklari and operated under Al-Nusrah Front in Syria. It also says the group had about 500 fighters. The UN entry says KTJ organized the 2016 attack on the Chinese Embassy in Bishkek. In that attack, a suspected suicide car bomber rammed the embassy gates, killing himself and wounding at least three other people, Reuters reported. Reuters later quoted the GKNB as saying, “The investigation established that the terrorist act was ordered by Uighur terrorist groups active in Syria.” U.S. sanctions records list Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity. Kyrgyzstan’s official list of banned organizations includes Islamic State, Jannat Oshiklari, and Jamaat at-Tawhid wal-Jihad. Islamic State was declared a terrorist and extremist organization by Bishkek’s Oktyabr District Court on February 13, 2015, and the ruling entered into force on March 16, 2015, 24.kg reported. No convictions have been announced in the June 9 case. The case remains under investigation.

Saddam Gulamov

Extradited Turkmen Activist Sentenced to Five Years in Prison

Turkmen activist Saddam Gulamov, who was extradited from Russia to Turkmenistan last year, has been sentenced to five years in prison, according to Turkmen.news, citing documents it said were obtained from Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office. The new information appears to revise earlier reports that Gulamov had received an eight-year sentence. Those accounts were based on sources in Turkmenistan’s law enforcement system and on information from inmates at the LB-E/12, also known as the Seydi Prison Labor Camp, where Gulamov is reportedly serving his sentence. According to Turkmen.news, Turkmenistan’s Prosecutor General’s Office requested Gulamov’s extradition. Russian authorities approved the request on December 20, 2023, and transferred him to Turkmen law enforcement agencies on March 1, 2024, after the decision entered into force. The documents cited by the outlet say the Judicial Panel of the Ashgabat City Court sentenced Gulamov on May 13, 2024, to five years in prison. They do not specify the charges or the legal provisions under which he was convicted. Turkmen.news also reported that Russian Embassy employees in Turkmenistan had visited Gulamov in prison and asked about his conditions of detention. No details about the outcome of those visits have been made public. The outlet said records from Turkmenistan’s wanted persons database showed that, as of 2021, Gulamov was being sought under Article 175, Part 2, of the country’s Criminal Code, which concerns public calls to violently change the constitutional order through mass media, and under Article 175-2, Part 2, which concerns public calls to extremist activity through media channels. Both offenses carried maximum prison terms of five years. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Gulamov publicly criticized Turkmen authorities and former president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on social media in 2020 and 2021. His posts focused on food shortages, economic difficulties, the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the official response to a destructive hurricane. In several posts, Gulamov called on citizens not to be afraid of what he described as authoritarian rule. Human rights organizations have repeatedly expressed concern about the treatment of political activists and government critics in Turkmenistan, one of the world’s most closed countries, where independent political activity and public dissent remain tightly restricted.

EU Sanctions

EU Sanctions Seminar in Bishkek Puts Kyrgyzstan’s Russia Trade Under Scrutiny

The European Union held a full-day sanctions seminar in Bishkek on June 9, aimed at Kyrgyz companies, banks, logistics operators and virtual-asset businesses. The session comes less than seven weeks after Brussels used its anti-circumvention tool against Kyrgyzstan for the first time. The EU Delegation to the Kyrgyz Republic said the seminar was designed to raise awareness of EU sanctions, explain their application, and improve cooperation to prevent circumvention. The published agenda set out a program covering the EU sanctions system, financial restrictions, dual-use trade controls, penalties, trade-flow risks, and practical compliance. It also included question-and-answer sessions on financial sanctions and dual-use goods. The Kyrgyz Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the event would cover sanctions policy. Trainers were expected to come from the European Commission, EU member states, international law firms, banks, logistics companies, technology firms, and the virtual-asset sector. The timing gives an otherwise technical seminar a political edge. On April 23, the Council of the EU adopted its 20th sanctions package against Russia. Brussels banned the export of computer numerical control machines and radios to Kyrgyzstan, where there is a high risk that the products could be re-exported to Russia. The Council said trade data showed a significant rise in the re-export of common high-priority items. Those narrow categories carry large compliance risk. They include machine tools, electronics, radio equipment and other components that can support military production, drones, communications systems, and advanced industrial supply chains. The EU is not attempting to stop Kyrgyz trade with Russia; it is trying to close routes for goods that European regulators say should not reach Russia through third countries. Kyrgyzstan has drawn closer EU scrutiny since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. A member of the Eurasian Economic Union, goods can enter Kyrgyzstan, clear customs, and then move through regional trade channels. That role has supported growth in Kyrgyzstan, but has placed freight forwarders, importers and banks under closer foreign review. The concern had been building before the April decision. During a February visit to Bishkek, EU sanctions envoy David O’Sullivan discussed Kyrgyz banks, cryptocurrency and sensitive imports with Kyrgyz officials. Local coverage said the EU was watching about 80 dual-use product categories shipped from Europe to Kyrgyzstan. Around 50 had been found directly in Russian weapons, while 30 more were described as economically critical industrial items used in their production. The April package also increased pressure on Kyrgyz financial channels. The EU placed a transaction ban on 20 Russian banks and targeted four financial institutions in third countries. Keremet Bank and Capital Bank were among the affected Kyrgyz lenders. The EU also designated a Kyrgyz entity operating a platform where large volumes of the government-backed A7A5 stablecoin are traded. Virtual assets remain one of the most sensitive areas. On June 3, Kyrgyzstan’s financial-market regulator revoked the license of CJSC TengriCoin as a virtual-asset trading operator. The regulator cited systematic legal violations, failure to comply with official requirements, and failure to submit required reports. It also reminded market participants...