Uzbekistan Justice - The Times Of Central Asia

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Regional Security

Tokayev Urges Central Asia and China to Strengthen Law Enforcement Cooperation

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev hosted the interior and public security ministers of the “Central Asia-China” format in Astana during the second meeting of regional law enforcement agencies. The meeting was attended by Chinese Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong, Kyrgyz Interior Minister Ulan Niyazbekov, Tajik Interior Minister Ramazon Rahimzoda, Turkmen Interior Minister Muhammet Hydyrov, and Uzbek Interior Minister Aziz Tashpulatov. Participants discussed transnational crime, drug trafficking, cybercrime, and extremism. Tokayev said strengthening cooperation between the law enforcement agencies of Central Asia and China is essential for maintaining regional stability. “Transnational organized crime is becoming increasingly flexible and interconnected. Cybercrime has evolved into a highly profitable global industry,” the president said. According to Tokayev, criminal groups are increasingly using digital platforms to coordinate activities, launder money, and carry out attacks that transcend national borders. He emphasized that Central Asia’s position at the crossroads of major transport and trade routes leaves the region particularly vulnerable to transnational criminal networks. Tokayev said Kazakhstan considers the rule of law a strategic state priority and is continuing the implementation of its “Law and Order” governance concept. He called for stronger efforts to block the financial flows of criminal organizations, suppress the spread of extremist ideology, and detect preparations for terrorist attacks. The president devoted particular attention to cybersecurity threats. “Artificial intelligence in the hands of destructive actors is becoming an information weapon,” Tokayev said. According to him, illegal content and disinformation are spreading online on an industrial scale, while existing mechanisms of international cooperation require substantial modernization. Tokayev also linked security concerns to the expansion of regional transport infrastructure, including the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. “The growth of cargo traffic is associated with certain risks, including transnational crime and the trafficking of contraband, drugs, and weapons,” he said. In Tokayev’s view, the “Central Asia-China” format should evolve into a platform for developing coordinated and practical security measures across the region. Participants in the meeting reaffirmed their intention to expand operational information-sharing, strengthen professional cooperation, and introduce modern technologies into law enforcement activities.

Jeffrey Epstein

Woman From Uzbekistan Says Jeffrey Epstein Abused Her for Years

A woman from Uzbekistan has publicly accused the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein of sexually abusing her over several years after she was recruited as a teenager with promises of a modeling career in the United States. According to the BBC, the woman, identified only as Roza, spoke publicly for the first time during a field hearing organized by Democratic members of the U.S. House Oversight Committee in West Palm Beach, Florida, a location lawmakers said was chosen because it was where Epstein’s crimes first became known. According to Roza’s testimony, she met French modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel in 2008 at the age of 18. Brunel, who was later accused by multiple women of trafficking and exploitation and died in prison in 2022, allegedly promised her a modeling career. “Coming from a financially unstable background, I was a perfect target for coercion,” Roza told lawmakers during emotional testimony. She said Brunel helped bring her to New York in 2009 on a visa and later introduced her to Epstein in July of that year at his residence in West Palm Beach. At the time, Epstein was serving a controversial sentence related to his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Under an arrangement criticized for being unusually lenient, he was allowed to leave custody for work for up to 16 hours a day, six days a week. Roza testified that Epstein offered her work through his Florida Science Foundation but later abused her repeatedly over a period of several years. “One day his masseuse called me into his room where I was molested for the first time by Jeffrey,” she said. “For the following three years, I was subject to ongoing rape.” Her testimony formed part of a hearing focused on how Epstein and his associates allegedly avoided accountability for years and how victims were failed by institutions meant to protect them. Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia, who participated in the hearing, said the session aimed to maintain public attention on the Epstein case while congressional scrutiny continues over government handling of related records. Roza also said she was retraumatized after her name was accidentally disclosed in documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice. “Now reporters from across the globe contact me. I cannot live without looking over my shoulder,” she said. “I can only imagine the long-term impact this ‘mistake’ will have on my life.” Epstein died in a New York jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. The testimony adds another connection between Uzbekistan and the Epstein network. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that Epstein sought architectural materials from Uzbekistan, including traditional tiles, for a controversial building on his private Caribbean island that he reportedly described as resembling a mosque. It has also been reported that U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said women and girls targeted by Epstein came from Turkmenistan and other countries, and that flight logs showed Kazakh model Ruslana Korshunova traveled to Epstein’s Little Saint...

U.S. Scholar Wins Copyright Case in Uzbekistan Over Unauthorized Distribution of Bygone Days Translation

American translator and scholar Mark Reese has won a copyright infringement case in Uzbekistan after a court ruled that his translated work had been distributed without permission. According to Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Justice, the Uchtepa Interdistrict Court for Civil Cases in Tashkent ordered an employee of the Uzbekistan State World Languages University (UzSWLU) to pay 20.6 million Uzbekistani som (approximately $1,700) in compensation to Reese for violating his copyright. The ruling follows a lawsuit filed by Reese in April seeking damages caused by the unauthorized use of his intellectual property. The dispute centers on Reese’s English translation of O‘tkan Kunlar (Bygone Days), the landmark novel by renowned Uzbek writer Abdulla Qodiriy. Reese spent more than 15 years translating the work, producing the first English-language edition of a book widely considered a cornerstone of Uzbek literature. Earlier, Reese appealed to Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Justice after discovering that an electronic version of his translation was allegedly being distributed without authorization. Following an investigation, officials found evidence of copyright violations at the university. Administrative proceedings were launched against a responsible employee under Article 177¹ of Uzbekistan’s Administrative Responsibility Code. In a previous court decision, the employee was fined 2.06 million som (approximately $170), while the university was ordered to remove the electronic copy of the translated work from the Unilibrary.uz platform. Under Uzbek law, copyright holders may seek compensation ranging from 20 to 1,000 times the base calculation amount instead of claiming direct damages. The case has drawn attention because of Reese’s long-standing ties to Uzbekistan. The American scholar first arrived in the country as a Peace Corps volunteer in the 1990s and later devoted years to translating Uzbek literary works for international audiences. In 2019, Uzbekistan awarded Reese the Order of Friendship for his contributions to promoting Uzbek culture abroad. During later visits, he donated signed copies of Bygone Days to universities and state institutions. Speaking previously to The Times of Central Asia, Reese said recipients had been informed that the copies were not to be reproduced or redistributed. “All parties asked how they could support my work,” Reese added. “I presented a copy and explained that they could purchase more at a steep discount.”

Religious Freedom

Uzbekistan National Deported From Russia Over Public Prayer

A court in St. Petersburg has fined a citizen of Uzbekistan and ordered his deportation from Russia after finding him guilty of illegal missionary activity for leading prayers in a public place, according to Russian judicial authorities. The case was announced by Darya Lebedeva, head of the joint press service of the courts of St. Petersburg, who said the Primorsky District Court found the man guilty of violating Russian legislation governing freedom of conscience, religion, and religious associations. According to the court statement, the incident took place on May 12 at approximately 7:45 p.m. near Savushkina Street in St. Petersburg. Police officers reportedly discovered the Uzbek citizen, identified by Russian authorities as Dadaboev, conducting a Muslim prayer ritual in a public area. Authorities alleged that he acted “as an imam” without official authorization to conduct religious ceremonies and had not coordinated the event with local executive or municipal authorities, as required under Russian law. Because he is a foreign citizen, the court classified the case under Part 5 of Article 5.26 of Russia’s administrative code, which concerns missionary activity carried out in violation of legal requirements. In court, the defendant reportedly acknowledged the facts outlined in the police protocol and admitted he had not known his actions could violate Russian law. “The objective side of the offense consists of publicly disseminating information about one’s religious beliefs among persons who are not participants in the given religious association, with the purpose of involving them in the religious association, carried out on the territory of the Russian Federation in violation of the requirements established by law,” the court said in its statement. The court imposed a fine of 30,000 rubles (approximately $400) and ordered his deportation from Russia. The incident comes amid increasing pressure on migrant communities in Russia following the country’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Migrants from Central Asia have reported more frequent police raids, document inspections, detentions, and deportation threats in recent years, while Russian authorities have tightened migration and residency regulations. The Times of Central Asia previously reported on several incidents involving Central Asian migrants in Russia, including footage that appeared to show a Tajik schoolgirl being beaten by Russian classmates while a teacher looked on, as well as an attack on a Kyrgyz woman in Moscow by a man shouting anti-migrant insults and calling migrants “terrorists.”

Anti-Corruption

Uzbekistan Introduces Anti-Corruption Reviews for $50 Million Investment Projects

Uzbekistan has introduced mandatory anti-corruption reviews for major investment projects worth at least $50 million, as the government intensifies efforts to strengthen oversight of public spending and large-scale development initiatives. The new procedure was approved through an official instruction registered by the Ministry of Justice on May 8, according to the ministry’s Legal Information channel. Under the new rules, large investment projects involving at least $50 million in financing will be subject to anti-corruption examinations and assessments of their impact on market competition before they can move forward. The regulation applies to projects aimed at creating, expanding, or modernizing socially and economically significant infrastructure, services, and facilities. The reviews will be conducted by internal anti-corruption control units within state bodies and organizations. Officials said projects identified as carrying a high risk of corruption could receive a negative assessment regarding their feasibility and implementation. Authorities also stressed that projects will not be approved until all shortcomings identified during the examination process are fully addressed. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that Uzbekistan had opened criminal proceedings against senior officials in the Ministry of Internal Affairs following investigations into large-scale financial violations. At a government meeting on January 27, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said investigators had uncovered 53 trillion Uzbekistani som (UZS), approximately $4.38 billion, in financial irregularities and misused funds nationwide. According to the president’s press secretary, 4.2 trillion som ($347.3 million) of the total was directly linked to corruption schemes. Authorities reported that 1.3 trillion som ($107.5 million) had already been recovered, while 55 individuals were arrested across the country in connection with corruption-related cases.

Visa Corruption

Former Italian Ambassador to Uzbekistan Arrested in Rome Over Visa Scheme Allegations

Former Italian ambassador to Uzbekistan Piergabriele Papadia de Bottini di Sant’Agnese has been arrested in Rome on accusations of corruption and facilitating illegal migration, according to the Italian newspaper la Repubblica. Italian prosecutors allege that the former diplomat and his associate, Tatiana Tarakanova, operated a scheme involving the issuance of Schengen visas from the Italian embassy in Tashkent. Tarakanova, a 53-year-old Russian-born Italian citizen living in Bulgaria, had reportedly worked with Papadia during his earlier diplomatic service at the Italian consulate in Moscow. According to the report, Papadia assumed control of the embassy’s visa office shortly after taking charge of the Italian embassy in Uzbekistan’s capital on December 2, 2024. Investigators from Rome’s financial police unit cited testimony from a former visa office manager, identified only as Michel, who said the ambassador personally intervened in visa operations and later arranged for Tarakanova to work inside the office. Italian authorities accuse the pair of aiding illegal immigration and committing corruption linked to official duties. Rome prosecutors opened an investigation after financial police examined activities connected to visa processing at the embassy. The arrests were carried out under precautionary measures issued by Annalisa Marzano, a judge for preliminary investigations in Rome. Papadia was detained in Rome and taken to prison while the investigation continues. According to la Repubblica, he had already been removed from his diplomatic post in December 2025. The case has drawn attention because it involves alleged misconduct linked to Schengen visa procedures in Central Asia, where demand for European visas has risen steadily in recent years. Italy has expanded diplomatic and economic ties with Uzbekistan in recent years, including cooperation in trade, migration, and education. Several European countries have also increased visa and labor mobility programs for Uzbek citizens as relations with Central Asia deepen.