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Belgium Transfers $108 Million in Seized Assets to State Treasury Following Uzbek Corruption Probe

On March 28, 2025, the Brussels Public Prosecutor instructed Belgium’s Central Office for Seizure and Confiscation (COSC) to transfer $108 million in confiscated assets to the Belgian state treasury. The funds, now officially the property of the Belgian government, were seized in connection with an international corruption investigation linked to Uzbekistan. The case stems from a years-long probe into illicit payments and bribes tied to telecom contracts in Uzbekistan. The funds were allegedly laundered and routed through various jurisdictions before being frozen in Belgium at the request of Uzbek authorities. The investigation, based on international legal cooperation and the UN Convention Against Corruption, initially led to the freezing of approximately $200 million. A Dutch-language court in Brussels later ruled that the full amount, including accrued interest, should be permanently confiscated. The court also ordered the funds to be split between Belgium and Uzbekistan, applying a restitution model similar to those used among European Union member states. As a result, another $108 million is expected to be transferred to Uzbekistan in the near future. In 2022, Uzbekistan’s Deputy Minister of Justice Muzraf Ikramov publicly stated that assets worth $240 million, linked to a criminal group associated with Gulnara Karimova, had been located in Belgium. He noted that cooperation between Uzbek and Belgian law enforcement agencies had been established to facilitate their return. When contacted by Kun.uz for comment, Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Justice said that details of the investigation remain classified. “Since the investigation process in Belgium is not over, and due to the confidentiality rules, it is not possible to disclose much information about these assets,” a ministry official said.

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Three Uzbeks Sentenced to Death in UAE for Murder of Israeli-Moldovan Rabbi

A court in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has sentenced three Uzbek nationals to death for the murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, a dual citizen of Israel and Moldova. The verdict, issued on March 30, has not yet been publicly confirmed by UAE authorities, according to The Times of Israel. Reports of the sentencing began circulating on social media, including an audio recording purportedly featuring one of the convicted men informing his family of the court’s decision. In the recording, the man urges his mother and sister to trust in Allah, ask for forgiveness on their behalf, and remain patient. The recording’s authenticity has not been independently verified. Israeli diplomatic sources, however, have confirmed that the UAE has indeed imposed the death penalty. The three convicts, Olympi Tohirovich, 28; Makhmodjon Abdulraheem, 28; and Azizbek Kamilovich, 33, were arrested in Turkey shortly after the crime and later extradited to the UAE. Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has acknowledged the sentencing but noted that the legal process is still underway. “This is not yet the final verdict. In the UAE, the death penalty is automatically appealed and sent to the Criminal Chamber of the Federal Supreme Court,” ministry spokesperson Ahror Burhonov told Kun.uz. The government of Uzbekistan has not publicly commented on the case’s merits or the broader diplomatic implications. Rabbi Kogan, 28, was a member of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement and had been living in the UAE for several years. He was reported missing in Dubai in November 2024, and his body was later found in Al Ain, near the Omani border. According to The Wall Street Journal, the suspects attempted to kidnap Kogan and transport him to Oman. Some of the perpetrators reportedly fled to Turkey following the incident. The Israeli government has denounced the killing as an “anti-Semitic terrorist attack.” Rabbi Kogan had played a key role in fostering Jewish life in the UAE following the 2020 Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states. He was instrumental in establishing kosher food services and founding the country’s first Jewish education center.

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Uzbekistan’s New Emphasis on the Military

Uzbekistan has become Central Asia’s leader in terms of military spending. This raises some questions about why Uzbekistan has boosted its military spending, but it should also get the attention of Uzbekistan’s Central Asian neighbors. According to Global Firepower’s 2025 Military Strength ranking, Uzbekistan’s defense budget was a little more than $2.8 billion, ahead of Kazakhstan which spent just over $2 billion. Kazakhstan still ranked ahead of Uzbekistan in overall military strength, 57th and 58th, respectively, but in 2024, Global Firepower ranked Kazakhstan 58th and Uzbekistan 65th. Voice of America noted in a July 2024 report that military spending was generally increasing across Central Asia, a "development officials link to regional conflicts such as the war in Ukraine.” Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan boosted their military spending after they fought brief but destructive battles against each at the end of April 2021, and again in mid-September 2022. In March 2023, Kamchybek Tashiyev, the head of Kyrgyzstan’s security service, said that since the 2021 conflict, his country had spent some $1 billion on military equipment, including military drones from Turkey. Global Firepower's 2025 report stated that Kyrgyzstan spent $221.8 million and Tajikistan $446 million on defense in 2024. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are the poorest countries in Central Asia. Where is the Threat? Uzbekistan and more broadly Central Asia’s increase in defense spending raise the question of why is it necessary. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan’s surge in military spending was a reaction to the border conflicts of 2021 and 2022. The root cause of that fighting was disputed territories along their frontier, but this year the two countries finally signed a delimitation agreement and relations have improved. The Central Asian states have legitimate security concerns, most emanating from Afghanistan, though not necessarily from the Taliban. Despite occasional saber-rattling, the Taliban are unlikely to ever try to attack or invade any Central Asian country, and presently most of the Central Asian states have established an amiable business relationship with the Taliban. Militant groups operating in Afghanistan are the major concern. These groups based in Afghanistan are the main threats to the Central Asian governments and require the Central Asian states to develop counter-terrorism capabilities, something they have been doing since the late 1990s. The anti-aircraft systems and missiles the Central Asian states, including Uzbekistan, are purchasing are ill-suited to counter-terrorism operations. The timing of the significant increase in military spending came not long after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022. Several Russian politicians and political commentators have spoken of reclaiming part of all of Kazakhstan in particular, but Uzbekistan has also been mentioned lately. It would be understandable for Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to bolster their defenses in case the day comes when Russia looks to forcibly reincorporate Central Asia back into its empire. But Russia is listed second on Global Firepower’s ranking of military powers and the country’s defense budget in 2024 was some $126 billion. Without outside assistance, it is unlikely Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan could hold out for long against...

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Uzbek Citizen Purchases Luxury Apartment in Seoul for Over $5 Million in Cash

An Uzbek citizen has purchased a high-end apartment in Seoul, South Korea, for 7.4 billion won (approximately $5.09 million), according to a report by the Korean publication Choson Biz. The property is located in Banpo Xi, a prestigious residential complex in Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul. With a dedicated area of 244 square meters, the apartment was sold at the highest recorded price for the complex, surpassing the previous record by 300 million won. The transaction took place in November last year. The buyer, a 41-year-old Uzbek national whose given address is in Tashkent and is identified only as "A", is registered under the “Korea-Uzbekistan Traditional Medicine Clinic” in Tashkent, a center that promotes traditional medicine and provides acupuncture training for Uzbek doctors. Official records indicate that the property transfer was registered on the 28th. Reports suggest that the buyer paid the full amount in cash, as no mortgage was listed on the property deed. Banpo Xi, a large residential complex with 3,410 units, is also home to several South Korean celebrities, including comedian Park Jun-hyung, Kim Ji-hye, and actress Yeo Jeong-a. The purchase comes amid a rising trend of foreign real estate investment in South Korea. As of June 2023, nearly 100,000 housing units in the country were owned by foreigners, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport. Chinese buyers lead the list, owning 52,798 units (55.5%), followed by U.S. nationals with 21,360 units (22.5%). Canadians hold 6,225 units (6.5%), while Taiwanese and Australians own 3,307 (3.5%) and 1,894 (2.0%) units, respectively.

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Uzbek Citizens Deported from U.S. to Return Home

Uzbekistan has contacted Latin American governments and U.S. authorities regarding the deportation of its citizens from the United States, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahror Burhonov announced. According to Burhonov, Uzbek citizens deported from the U.S. typically return home on flights along the New York-Tashkent route. The Embassy of Uzbekistan in Washington and the Consulate General in New York have been coordinating with U.S. law enforcement agencies to facilitate a safe return. As part of ongoing cooperation, the U.S. government notifies Uzbekistan of each deportation case. "We are monitoring reports about the possible deportation of Uzbek citizens to other countries. Our diplomatic missions have formally requested information from the U.S. regarding such cases. Additionally, we have established contacts with Latin American countries through diplomatic channels," Burhonov stated. Previously, The Times of Central Asia reported that a group of 200 migrants from Central Asia and India would be deported to Costa Rica as part of U.S. immigration enforcement efforts. A separate U.S. Air Force flight carrying deportees from Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam recently landed in Panama. Two more flights are expected, bringing the total number of deportees to 360.

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Central Asian Migrants In Group Being Deported by U.S. to Costa Rica

A group of 200 migrants from Central Asia and India is scheduled to be flown from the United States to Costa Rica this week as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration. Costa Rica’s presidency said in a statement that it was collaborating with the United States on the repatriation of migrants who were illegally in the U.S. and that the “first group” of 200 would be transferred from Juan Santamaria International Airport, near the capital of San José, to a temporary facility for migrants in the Costa Rican area of Corredores. The area is in the south of the country, near the border with Panama. The Costa Rican statement, which was issued on Monday, had said the U.S.-funded commercial flight was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. However, several Costa Rican and international news reports said the flight was delayed until Thursday. The statement did not identify the nationalities of the migrants from Central Asia, though Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chavez subsequently said they were from countries including Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan and India. The operation is being supervised by the International Organization for Migration, a Geneva-based United Nations agency that will take care of the migrants while they are in transit, according to the Costa Rican government. In a similar arrangement, Uzbek citizens are among a separate group of migrants from multiple countries who were recently flown from the United States to Panama prior to repatriation to their countries of origin. Panama has come under intense pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has threatened to seize the Panama Canal. It is difficult for the United States to repatriate migrants to some countries, leading Washington to look for third countries as a transit point. The Costa Rica flight received some attention in Uzbek media. Costa Rica’s human rights watchdog, La Defensoría de los Habitantes, said on Wednesday that it didn’t know details of the negotiation and agreement between the United States and the Costa Rican government for the repatriation of migrants, nor whether there are children, elderly people, disabled people or families in the group arriving in the Central American country. The Costan Rican government must guarantee their human rights, and provide medical checkups and adequate lodging space while they are in the country, according to the watchdog. It said Costa Rica, as a signatory to the U.N. convention against torture, must also confirm that none of the migrants will be subjected to “cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment” once they return to their countries of origin. The watchdog said it would remain vigilant, noting that it’s unclear whether the migrants will be safe from threats to their lives and freedom once forced to go back to their countries. Last month, as the Trump administration began to implement deportation plans, Kyrgyzstan warned its citizens in the United States to follow immigration law and always carry relevant documents with them. Chicago, a focus of some federal raids, has a growing Kyrgyz population.