Uzbekistan Justice - The Times Of Central Asia

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Uzbek Student Accuses Wizz Air of Discrimination After Being Denied Boarding without Explanation

Earlier this year, Uzbekistan’s Competition Committee took action against Wizz Air following complaints about the airline’s failure to offer safety instructions in the Uzbek language on a flight from Samarkand to Abu Dhabi. Now, another troubling incident has come to light, this time, involving an Uzbek student who claims he was denied boarding without explanation, possibly due to his nationality. ------- Suhrob Ubaydullayev, a University of World Languages student in Uzbekistan, was returning home after completing a Work and Travel program in Europe. He had booked a Wizz Air flight from Rome to Abu Dhabi, with a connection onward to Samarkand. According to Ubaydullayev, despite having all required travel documents — including a valid passport, visa, and certificates from Germany’s Federal Employment Agency — he was inexplicably denied boarding at the gate. “I had all my documents in order,” Ubaydullayev told The Times of Central Asia. “The staff checked them and gave them back to me, but when I reached the gate, they suddenly said I couldn’t fly. No reason. No explanation.” He claims the airline staff asked him a single question — “Are you from Uzbekistan?” — and upon hearing his affirmative response, refused to let him on board. What followed, he says, was a humiliating and deeply distressing ordeal: threats of calling the police, warnings that his embassy wouldn’t be able to assist him, and a refusal to provide any written explanation. “I was speaking English clearly — communication wasn’t an issue,” he told TCA, “but they treated me like a criminal. I believe it was simply because I’m from Uzbekistan.” Ubaydullayev says that this incident occurred on 31 August 2023. He has repeatedly sent emails to the company requesting compensation. However, most emails went unanswered, or he was told to wait. ------- After being left behind in Rome, Ubaydullayev’s troubles worsened. Because he was denied boarding on August 31, Ubaydullayev was at immediate risk of overstaying his visa, which expired on the same day. This meant that any further stay in the Schengen area would make his presence technically illegal under EU immigration law. He scraped together borrowed funds to fly to Istanbul, where he found himself sleeping on the streets. “I met some Uzbek guys near the Sultan Ahmed Mosque who offered help,” he said. “But they ended up taking my money and disappearing.” His eventual return home took him through Kazan, Russia, and Osh, Kyrgyzstan, before finally reaching Namangan — emotionally drained, physically exhausted, and over $2,000 in debt. Now, Ubaydullayev has accused Wizz Air of discrimination, human rights violations, and consumer protection breaches. He has filed a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights and says his lawyers are currently working through the pre-trial phase. “This is about more than me,” he said. “This is a fight for justice — for every Uzbek passenger who deserves to be treated with dignity.” ------- In giving a legal assessment of Ubaydullayev’s case to TCA, legal expert Azizbek Odilov says the airline’s actions amount to a...

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Swiss Bank Investigated Over Ties to Central Asian Elites

Swiss bank Reyl, part of Intesa Sanpaolo Group, is under investigation by Switzerland’s financial regulator FINMA for allegedly failing to prevent money laundering and mishandling accounts belonging to high-risk clients, including relatives of prominent former Central Asian leaders. The investigation stems from confidential correspondence reviewed by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and Le Monde. High-Risk Clients from Central Asia Among the individuals named are the daughters of the former presidents of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. OCCRP also identified the bank’s connections with the son-in-law of a powerful Central Asian leader. One such client is Lola Karimova, daughter of the late Uzbek president Islam Karimov, and her husband, Timur Tillyaev. The couple, known for their lavish lifestyle, relocated to Geneva by 2013. In 2012, Swiss regulators warned another financial institution, Fidurhône, that the couple posed a high compliance risk. By 2014, Fidurhône was instructed to sever ties with them after account balances surged to 190 million Swiss francs. The bank faced the threat of losing its license for non-compliance, and one partner was fined for failing to report suspicious transactions. In 2020, Tillyaev’s company became a client of Reyl, which was followed by the opening of his personal account. By late 2023, one of these accounts held 83 million francs (approximately $97 million). In January 2024, FINMA requested full disclosure of all Reyl accounts linked to Uzbekistan, including Tillyaev’s. The bank stated it was re-evaluating its relationship with him due to reputational concerns amid renewed media focus on his sister-in-law, Gulnara Karimova. The eldest daughter of Islam Karimov, Gulnara Karimova was once a prominent public figure in Uzbekistan, known for her ventures in business, fashion, and music under the name Googoosha. She also served in diplomatic roles. Her fall from grace began in 2014 with her house arrest, followed by a series of legal proceedings after her father’s death in 2016. In 2017, she was sentenced to nine years for corruption, which was later increased to over 13 years. Kazakhstan Connection Kazakhstan’s former president Nursultan Nazarbayev, who ruled for nearly three decades, oversaw the emergence of a wealthy inner circle. OCCRP has previously reported that he established private foundations controlling assets worth approximately $8 billion. His daughter, Dinara Kulibayeva, moved to Switzerland in 2007 and entrusted Reyl with managing part of her wealth. For years, bank CEO François Reyl personally oversaw her accounts. However, in 2023, FINMA launched an inquiry into the origin of the large deposits in her accounts. In May 2024, the bank was ordered to provide comprehensive documentation on her financial holdings and those of her Luxembourg-based company, which had secured a €25 million loan from Reyl to purchase real estate in France. The investigation was prompted by a suspicious activity report filed by Reyl and the opening of a criminal case in Switzerland. A lawyer representing Kulibayeva stated she had fully cooperated with authorities and that her wealth derives from shares in Halyk Bank, one of Kazakhstan’s largest financial institutions. The bank confirmed that her...

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In Türkiye, Uzbek Man Faces Deportation After Photographing Woman Without Consent

An Uzbek man who photographed a Turkish woman in the Istanbul metro without her permission is in the process of being deported. Uzbekistan’s consulate in Istanbul said on Thursday that the man was arrested on April 13 after taking “unauthorized” photos of the woman, who then reported the alleged violation of her privacy to law enforcement authorities. The man’s work permit was revoked and he is being subjected to “forced deportation measures,” said the consulate, which intervened in order to prevent a criminal investigation. “According to Turkish law, photographing or videotaping another person, especially women, without their consent is strictly prohibited and may result in criminal prosecution,” the consulate said. It urged Uzbek citizens to follow local laws and said photographing or recording video of “strangers without their permission or causing them discomfort may result in serious action being taken against you.” Article 134 of Türkiye´s penal code provides for a punishment of up to several years in prison for violating the privacy of another person, including by disseminating images and sounds related to the personal life of the affected individual. ER&GUN&ER, an Istanbul-based law firm, says the country has “robust” laws to address privacy violations in the digital environment. It refers to a 2011 sex tape case and a 2016 political party data breach as high-profile cases involving such violations. “Taking pictures itself is not illegal in Turkey, but there are specific regulations that must be observed,” says Manolya Travel Agency, which is based in Istanbul. “While taking pictures, it is crucial to respect the privacy of individuals and refrain from capturing images of people without their explicit permission. This rule applies regardless of whether the person in the camera frame is a Turkish citizen or a foreign tourist.”

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Uzbekistan Moves to Regulate AI and Protect Personal Data

Uzbekistan's Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis (Parliament) has approved a new bill in its first reading that seeks to regulate the use of artificial intelligence, and introduce legal accountability for the misuse of personal data involving AI technologies. The bill was reviewed during a parliamentary session on April 15 and is designed to safeguard personal privacy in the face of rapidly advancing AI capabilities. It proposes penalties for the unauthorized processing and dissemination of personal data, particularly through online platforms and the media, when artificial intelligence is involved. Balancing Innovation and Risk Lawmakers noted that global investment in AI reached $154 billion in 2023 and was expected to double in 2024, with projections of a tenfold increase by 2030. Uzbekistan is actively working to integrate AI across various sectors, including industry, public administration, crime prevention, and environmental management. However, the government has also raised alarms about the risks posed by unregulated AI use. In particular, concerns have grown over privacy violations stemming from deepfake content and manipulated media. In 2024 alone, incidents involving fake AI-generated images and videos of public figures increased fiftyfold. The number of reported cases involving illegal use of AI-generated content rose from 1,129 in 2023 to 3,553 in 2024. Key Provisions of the Bill The proposed legislation formally defines “artificial intelligence” and sets out the government’s policy approach toward its development and application. It includes requirements for labeling AI-generated content and bans uses of AI that could undermine human dignity, personal freedoms, health, or individual rights. If adopted into law, the bill would mark a significant step toward establishing ethical and legal norms for AI deployment in Uzbekistan, amid growing global concern over the unchecked use of emerging technologies.

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TikToker Arrested for Insulting Uzbek Citizens Online

Valeriy Yugay, a TikToker from Uzbekistan’s Tashkent region known online as Abdullah, has been arrested after making a series of offensive videos targeting Uzbek citizens while abroad. According to Bobur Tulaganov, spokesperson for the Tashkent Regional Department of Internal Affairs, Yugay recorded and published the videos during his stay in South Korea in October and November 2024. In the videos, he allegedly insulted Uzbeks, made statements that could incite ethnic hatred, and expressed disrespect for national values and religious beliefs. Yugay was returned to Uzbekistan on March 25, arriving on a flight from Abu Dhabi to Samarkand, where he was immediately detained by law enforcement authorities. A criminal case has been opened against him under Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code, and a court has ordered his pre-trial detention while the investigation proceeds. The 26-year-old reportedly made several inflammatory statements, including denying the legitimacy of the Uzbek state, expressing regret about being born there, and vowing never to return. In one particularly controversial video, he insulted Uzbek women and claimed he would harm his own mother in exchange for social media likes and followers. The Internal Affairs Department stated that his remarks sparked widespread public outrage across Uzbekistan. Following his arrest, Yugay admitted guilt and issued a public apology. “I, Valeriy Yugay, insulted our people on social media. I did it for attention and recognition. But now I realize my mistake and deeply regret it. I sincerely apologize to everyone,” he said.

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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.