Uzbekistan Justice - The Times Of Central Asia

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Child Protection Laws

Uzbekistan Introduces Life Imprisonment for Rape of Children Under 14

Uzbekistan has introduced penalties of 15 to 25 years in prison or life imprisonment for rape and certain other serious sexual offenses against children under 14. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has signed a law eliminating the statute of limitations for prosecuting these crimes. The amendments affect five codes and six laws and expand legal protections for children against physical and psychological violence, including abuse by relatives and educational staff. For intentional crimes resulting in a child's death, suspended sentences and early release on parole will be prohibited. “Violence against a young child can never be tolerated, and punishment must be inevitable and uncompromising,” Saida Mirziyoyeva, head of the Presidential Administration, wrote on her Telegram channel. Children who have experienced or witnessed violence will be entitled to free state-funded legal assistance from the moment they become involved in legal proceedings. If a parent, adoptive parent, guardian, or another relative is suspected of the crime, a representative of the guardianship authorities must also protect the child's interests during the investigation and trial. In schools and other educational institutions, staff responsible for teaching or caring for children can be dismissed if held legally responsible for violence against a child. The legislation was approved following a high-profile case in the Namangan region, where reports emerged of alleged sexual violence against a five-year-old girl at a state-run kindergarten in the Uchqurgan district. The case sparked public outrage and debate over appropriate punishment for those responsible. Mirziyoyeva previously stated that responsibility should extend to both the direct perpetrators and officials whose negligence may have allowed the alleged assault to take place. According to the Oliy Majlis, Uzbekistan's parliament, 445 criminal cases involving the rape of children under 14 were opened in the country between 2022 and 2025. The amendments passed the lower house of parliament on September 30, following a first reading on September 29, and were approved by the Senate on October 2.

Victim Compensation

Most Compensation for Uzbekistan’s Dok-1 Max Victims Remains Unpaid

Families affected by Uzbekistan's Dok-1 Max poisoning scandal are still owed most of the 78 billion soums awarded in compensation, more than two years after the court verdict, according to the Bureau of Compulsory Enforcement. The case dates back to late 2022, when children across Uzbekistan fell ill after taking contaminated cold medicines, including Dok-1 Max, manufactured by the Indian pharmaceutical company Marion Biotech. Laboratory tests confirmed that samples of Dok-1 Max and another syrup, Ambronol, contained dangerous levels of diethylene glycol and/or ethylene glycol, toxic substances that can cause severe kidney damage and death. By February 2024, the medicines had been linked to the deaths of 68 children. On February 26, 2024, a court in Tashkent sentenced 23 defendants in connection with the scandal, including pharmaceutical executives and officials responsible for drug testing and regulation. Sardor Kariyev, a former head of Uzbekistan's pharmaceutical development agency and state drug testing center, received an 18-year prison sentence. Singh Raghvendra Pratap, director of Quramax Medical, the company that imported the medicines into Uzbekistan, was sentenced to 20 years. An investigation by the country's Anti-Corruption Agency identified failures in drug registration, certification, and oversight that had created opportunities for corruption. The issue of unpaid compensation has resurfaced following complaints on social media that payments had stopped. In a statement reported on October 7, the bureau said it was continuing efforts to recover money from Kariyev and other convicted defendants. Enforcement officers seized Kariyev's properties in Tashkent. A nonresidential building on Furqat Street was sold at an electronic auction for 793 million soums (about $67,000). Residential properties in the Chilanzar district, valued at a combined 7.1 billion soums (about $601,000), remain up for auction. According to the bureau, proceeds from the property sale, together with money paid by Kariyev's relatives, have enabled the distribution of 16.7 billion soums ($1.41 million) to the claimants. The recovered funds were divided equally among them. That leaves 61.3 billion soums (about $5.19 million) outstanding. The bureau has given no indication of when the families might receive the remaining compensation.

Espionage

German Spy Scandal Puts Central Asian and Caucasus Espionage Cases in Focus

The arrest of former German intelligence chief August Hanning has drawn attention to Azerbaijan. German journalists reported that he allegedly had contacts with Azerbaijan's intelligence service. Baku rejected the allegations, while German prosecutors have not confirmed any Azerbaijani involvement. In recent years, citizens of Central Asia and the South Caucasus have repeatedly been implicated in espionage and treason cases. The accused and suspects include former intelligence chiefs, military personnel, officials, scientists, and foreign nationals. Some have received lengthy prison sentences, while others remain under investigation. In many cases, information about alleged foreign intelligence connections is limited to media reports. German Scandal and Ties to Baku On October 6, 2026, the German authorities detained 80-year-old August Hanning, who headed the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) from 1998 to 2005. Former BND employee Manfred D. was also taken into custody. Hanning is suspected of attempted treason, obtaining state secrets, and acting on behalf of a foreign intelligence service. Manfred D. is suspected of assisting in the alleged offenses. Both were placed in pretrial detention on October 7. According to federal prosecutors, in the spring of 2010, Hanning reached an agreement with his former subordinate to obtain intelligence documents in exchange for money. By June 2022, Manfred D. had allegedly provided him with approximately 2,000 documents, including classified materials. By then, Hanning was working as a private consultant and, investigators believe, used the information for commercial purposes. According to German media reports, the documents included materials on Iran's nuclear program, Russia's armed forces, and information received from partner intelligence agencies. Investigators also allege that Hanning prepared an analytical memorandum for an officer of a foreign intelligence service. It remains unknown whether the intended recipient received it. Der Spiegel reported alleged contacts between Hanning and a representative of Azerbaijani intelligence. The investigative outlet CORRECTIV examined his longstanding ties to Baku, including his participation in the German-Azerbaijani Forum. German prosecutors have not identified the foreign intelligence service involved in the investigation. Azerbaijan rejected reports of its involvement and warned of damage to relations with Berlin. An Azerbaijani official also claimed that German intelligence representatives had assured Baku that the investigation was unrelated to Azerbaijan, although this has not been publicly confirmed by the German authorities. The classified documents were discovered during a separate investigation. In September 2025, police searched Hanning's premises in connection with the alleged abduction of the children of German businesswoman Christina Block from Denmark. The discovery led to a separate criminal investigation opened in May 2026. Hanning's lawyer acknowledged that his client possessed confidential documents, but rejected allegations he had passed on information to Germany's detriment or received payment for doing so. Kazakhstan’s Espionage and State Secrets Cases In Kazakhstan, one of the best-known treason cases of recent times involved the prosecution of China expert Konstantin Syroyezhkin, who worked for many years at the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the president. Syroyezhkin was detained in February 2019 and sentenced to ten years in prison in October. The trial was held behind closed...

Religious Freedom

Why Central Asian Governments Are Regulating Religious Life

Kyrgyzstan is requiring bloggers and other social media users who publicly preach religion online to obtain a special certificate. The website of the National Agency for Religious Affairs and Interethnic Relations includes an application form for registration as a “religious preacher.” Nurgazy Kyrgyzbaev, a chief specialist at the agency, announced the measure on local radio. He said the requirement stems from the country’s new religion law, which introduced the legal category of “religious preacher.” “People who want to publicly call others to religion must obtain a special certificate. Their religious education will be considered first and foremost. Recently, people have appeared online who call themselves bloggers and create religious content,” Kyrgyzbaev said, adding that their religious qualifications had previously gone unchecked. This, he argued, created a risk of inaccurate or misleading religious information being spread. Under the new system, applicants must have higher or secondary religious education and obtain the consent of the relevant central religious authority before registering with the agency. For Muslim applicants, this means approval from the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kyrgyzstan, or Muftiate. Kyrgyzbaev said Muftiate employees engaged in preaching are automatically treated as religious preachers. Kyrgyzstan has traditionally allowed greater religious diversity than most of its Central Asian neighbors, including a wider range of Islamic movements. It remains the only country in the region where Tablighi Jamaat and the Nurcular movement can operate legally. Tablighi Jamaat, for example, is banned as extremist in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Religious Freedom Concerns Across the Region Central Asia has long attracted criticism from international religious-freedom monitors. In its 2026 annual report, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recommended that the U.S. State Department place Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan on its Special Watch List for severe violations of religious freedom. It recommended that Tajikistan and Turkmenistan be designated Countries of Particular Concern, a higher category reserved under U.S. law for governments accused of particularly severe violations. According to USCIRF, Tajik authorities continued to use the country’s law on traditions and ceremonies to regulate religious life, including through fines and public campaigns. After amendments adopted in 2024 prohibited the import, sale, promotion, and wearing of clothing deemed “alien to national culture,” authorities also campaigned against what they described as foreign styles of dress. USCIRF and other religious-freedom monitors have reported even tighter state control in Turkmenistan, where religious activity outside officially approved structures remains heavily restricted. Reports have described pressure on religious leaders to provide information to the authorities about believers practicing outside state-sanctioned forms of Islam. USCIRF has argued that Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, like other Central Asian states, apply extremism laws to religious practices that involve neither violence nor incitement. Religion Moves Online in Kazakhstan In Kazakhstan, as in Kyrgyzstan, mosques are no longer necessarily the primary source of religious knowledge for younger people. At independence in 1991, Kazakhstan had only 68 mosques. The Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan reported 2,945 functioning mosques at the beginning of 2026. The expansion reflects the extraordinary revival of...

Child Protection

Uzbekistan Considers Life Imprisonment for Child Sexual Offenses

Uzbekistan is considering life imprisonment for rape and certain other violent sexual offenses involving children under the age of 14. A bill introducing this penalty and other measures to protect minors has passed its first reading in the lower house of parliament. The Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis approved the bill on September 29. It proposes lengthy prison terms or life imprisonment for these offenses. Under current law, the rape of a child under 14 is punishable by 15 to 20 years in prison. The proposed amendments would also eliminate certain limitation periods for sexual offenses against children, preventing offenders from avoiding criminal liability or punishment because the prescribed period has expired. During the parliamentary debate, lawmaker Gulrukh Agzamova said 445 criminal cases involving the rape of children under 14 had been opened in Uzbekistan between 2022 and 2025. Under the proposed changes, questioning of child victims would be video-recorded, while face-to-face confrontations between a child and a suspect or defendant would be conducted under a special procedure. If someone close to the child is suspected of violence, additional safeguards would apply. A guardian or a state body responsible for protecting the child’s rights and interests would then be required to participate in the investigation and court proceedings. Child victims and minor witnesses would also be provided with state-funded legal assistance. The bill was debated amid public outrage over a case involving the alleged sexual assault of a five-year-old girl at a state kindergarten in the Uchqurgan district of the eastern Namangan region. The case has revived debate over the death penalty in Uzbekistan. On September 27, Saida Mirziyoyeva, head of the Presidential Administration, called for capital punishment for such crimes. The death penalty is prohibited by Uzbekistan’s Constitution, meaning its reinstatement would require a constitutional amendment. The push for tougher penalties, however, predates the high-profile case in Namangan. Uzbekistan’s Strategy for Protecting Children from All Forms of Violence for 2026-2030 includes proposals to increase penalties for sexual crimes against children under 14, up to life imprisonment. Following its first reading, the bill will continue through the parliamentary process.

Counter-Terrorism

Uzbek-U.S. Citizen Extradited from Georgia on Charges of Supporting ISIS and al-Nusrah Front

Davud Ansariy, an Uzbek citizen who is also a naturalized U.S. citizen, has been extradited from Georgia to New York. U.S. prosecutors accuse him of leading a network that raised money to support ISIS and the al-Nusrah Front and helped aspiring fighters travel to Syria. Ansariy, 41, also known as Kozimjon Gafurov and Kozim, was arrested in Tbilisi in August 2026 and extradited to the United States on September 23. He faces one count of conspiracy to provide material support and one count of providing and attempting to provide material support to ISIS and the al-Nusrah Front, both designated by the United States as foreign terrorist organizations at the time of the alleged conduct. If convicted, he faces up to 35 years in prison. The alleged conduct dates back more than a decade. According to prosecutors, Ansariy led a group based primarily in Brooklyn whose members either planned to travel to Syria to join ISIS or the al-Nusrah Front or helped finance such trips. Participants referred to the group as “chayxona,” an Uzbek word meaning “tea house” or “tea party.” Prosecutors allege that money collected through the network was used to pay for the travel of aspiring fighters to Syria and to support families left behind by those who traveled there, as well as the families of those killed while fighting. According to prosecutors, these collections helped finance the travel of at least three people to Syria in 2013. All three are believed to have been killed there. Investigators also link the network to Akhror Saidakhmetov, who was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport on February 25, 2015, while attempting to board a flight to Istanbul. According to court filings, the “chayxona” collections raised money for Saidakhmetov’s planned journey. He later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Ansariy left the United States for Turkey in May 2016, buying a one-way ticket the day before his departure. He left five days after one of his alleged co-conspirators was arrested on May 11 and did not return to the United States until his extradition this month. A federal grand jury in Brooklyn indicted Ansariy in November 2021. Georgian authorities arrested him after he traveled from Uzbekistan to Tbilisi in August 2026. Ansariy pleaded not guilty on September 24 and was held without bail, the New York Post reported.