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Rule of Law

Uzbekistan Strikes Down Ten-Day Border Detention Without Court Approval

Uzbekistan’s Constitutional Court has struck down provisions allowing people accused of breaking border rules to be held for up to ten days without a judge’s approval. The decision followed complaints about detention beyond the constitution’s 48-hour limit. The court adopted its ruling on September 22. It took effect on September 25, removing the legal basis for extended detention periods. The case reached the court through parliamentary ombudsman Feruza Eshmatova. Her office received six complaints in 2025–2026 concerning alleged unlawful administrative detention lasting more than 48 hours, according to the court’s account of the case. The challenged provisions were part of Article 288 of the Code of Administrative Responsibility. They covered violations of border regulations and rules at state border checkpoints. Officials could hold a person for up to three hours to prepare a report. If they needed to establish the person’s identity or clarify the circumstances, they could extend detention to three days, though they had to notify a prosecutor in writing within 24 hours. For someone without identity documents, a prosecutor could authorize detention for up to ten days. Neither extension required officials to seek a court order. The ombudsman challenged those powers under Article 27 of the Constitution, which bars detention beyond 48 hours without a judicial decision. The court agreed that the longer periods breached that guarantee. It also identified a gap in the code: the provisions contained no mechanism for obtaining judicial approval when officials wanted to hold someone longer. Notification or authorization by a prosecutor “must not replace a court decision,” the court said in its published account of the ruling. The decision concerns how long the authorities can hold someone without judicial oversight. It does not abolish border offenses or prevent detention beyond 48 hours when a court authorizes it. According to Gazeta, the ruling is final and cannot be appealed. The body responsible for the legislation has one month to bring it into line with the constitution. The court did not prescribe the replacement wording. The ombudsman’s office has also reported unlawful detention elsewhere this month. In a separate case in Nukus district, monitors found three people held without sufficient grounds at a medical facility for intoxicated people. None of the three was intoxicated. Police inspectors had taken them there while awaiting a court decision on placement in a special reception facility. Following the ombudsman’s intervention, one inspector received a disciplinary sanction. The cases of two others were referred for disciplinary consideration, and the materials were sent to the district prosecutor for a preliminary inquiry.

Child Protection

Uzbekistan Kindergarten Case Over Alleged Assault Prompts Calls for Tougher Penalties

Authorities in Uzbekistan are investigating the alleged sexual assault of a five-year-old girl at a state kindergarten in the Namangan region. The suspect has been detained, while the case has prompted a wider debate over tougher penalties for sexual crimes against children. The alleged assault occurred at a kindergarten in Uchkurgan district. Police opened a criminal case on September 12 under two provisions of the Criminal Code, one covering the rape of a child under 14 and the other covering a threat to kill or use violence. The suspect, identified as K.M., worked as the kindergarten’s head of maintenance and was detained the same day. A court later ordered him held in custody. The Children’s Ombudsman requested a safety review from the Ministry of Preschool and School Education, prompting checks on staff at state kindergartens across the country. On September 27, Saida Mirziyoyeva, head of the Presidential Administration, said the death penalty should apply to such crimes. Capital punishment is prohibited under Article 25 of Uzbekistan’s Constitution, meaning its restoration would require a constitutional amendment. “In my view, the death penalty should indeed be applied for such brutal crimes. Unfortunately, the current law does not provide for the highest form of punishment,” Mirziyoyeva wrote. She said proposals were being prepared to amend legislation to make penalties for such crimes as severe as possible. The Children’s Ombudsman has proposed life imprisonment for serious sexual crimes against children, including rape, in a special report submitted to parliament. The ombudsman cited Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, where life sentences are available for certain sexual offenses against children. Kazakhstan introduced the penalty for some such crimes, while Kyrgyzstan’s Criminal Code allows it for the rape of a child under 14. Human rights activist Abdurakhmon Tashanov, head of the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan Ezgulik, cautioned against interpreting Mirziyoyeva’s remarks as the beginning of a campaign to restore capital punishment. “Those who interpret Saida Mirziyoyeva’s words as a proposal to restore the death penalty in Uzbekistan are somewhat mistaken. The death penalty will not be reinstated,” he wrote. Tashanov nevertheless supported tougher punishment for sexual crimes against children and called for parliament to consider additional measures, including castration. The National Agency for Social Protection is providing assistance to the girl and her mother. Shakhnoza Mirziyoyeva, the agency’s first deputy director, said psychologists and other specialists have been working with the family. The agency will arrange for the family to move to another city and receive housing, rehabilitation, and social support. It will assist the girl’s mother with education and employment and, if necessary, with changing the family’s surname. The investigation is continuing, and authorities have urged the public not to circulate unverified information or details that could reveal the child’s identity.

Opinion

Opinion: How Europe Balances Conditions and Interests in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan has enjoyed preferential access to the EU market under GSP+ since 2021. The program removes tariffs on thousands of products for countries that commit to implementing international conventions on human rights, labor standards, environmental protection, and governance. Uzbekistan is one of two Central Asian countries, alongside Kyrgyzstan, participating in GSP+. Tajikistan receives the less generous standard GSP preferences, while Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan are outside the scheme because they are classified as upper-middle-income economies. Uzbekistan makes extensive use of the program. In 2024, its preference utilization rate, the share of eligible exports entering the EU duty-free, was 92.2%. EU imports from Uzbekistan nearly doubled between 2021 and 2024. Those benefits come with conditions. The European Commission assesses whether Uzbekistan is implementing the conventions required under GSP+. It must consider findings from the UN and International Labour Organization monitoring bodies, but it can also use evidence from governments, international organizations, civil society groups, and other sources. If the Commission has “reasonable doubt” that Uzbekistan is meeting its commitments, it can open a withdrawal procedure. Uzbekistan can respond and provide evidence of compliance. The Commission then decides whether to close the case or withdraw preferences from some or all products. The system gives Brussels a formal role in assessing whether Uzbekistan continues to meet the conditions attached to preferential market access. It also requires the Commission to decide how different evidence should be interpreted and when shortcomings are serious enough to justify action. There is no automatic formula that produces that decision. The EU–Uzbekistan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, or EPCA, creates a separate mechanism. It makes respect for human rights an essential part of the partnership, and a serious breach can lead to partial or full suspension of the agreement. The European Parliament’s May 2026 resolution called for implementation of the agreement’s human-rights and rule-of-law commitments and for those commitments to be assessed within three years. The EU’s own report records setbacks in media freedom, civil society, and judicial independence. It also recognizes progress on labor standards and protections for women and children. The Commission must assess compliance with each required convention; progress in one area does not remove obligations in another. That means the Commission must decide how much weight to give different evidence and when concerns are serious enough to affect trade preferences. Decisions on Uzbekistan’s domestic reforms, however, remain with the Uzbek government. Concurrently, cooperation between the EU and Uzbekistan has expanded. Brussels is pursuing closer ties with Uzbekistan on transport connectivity and critical raw materials. Uzbekistan’s position on regional transport routes, critical raw materials, and access to a growing Central Asian market also gives Tashkent leverage in its dealings with Europe. The new GSP rules apply from January 2027, raising the number of required conventions from 27 to 32. Existing beneficiaries retain their preferences during a transition period and must reapply by the end of 2028. The EPCA has applied provisionally since March 1, 2026, while full ratification remains pending. The next GSP+ review will show how...

Murder Convictions

Uzbek Women Murdered in Istanbul: Two Men Sentenced to Life

Two Uzbek nationals have each been sentenced to life imprisonment in Turkey for murdering two Uzbek women in Istanbul. The investigation began in January after the remains of one woman were discovered and later led authorities to a second victim. The killings sparked protests in Istanbul and Ankara. The Istanbul Anadolu 17th High Criminal Court found Dilshod Turdimurotov, 31, and Gofurjon Kamalkhodjaev, 29, guilty of murdering Durdona Khakimova, 36, and Sayyora Ergashaliyeva, 32. Each man received two aggravated life sentences, Turkey’s most severe form of life imprisonment, which carries stricter prison conditions than an ordinary life sentence, along with two additional seven-year prison terms for theft from a residence after the victims’ deaths. The case drew widespread attention on January 24, when Khakimova’s remains were found in a garbage container in Istanbul’s Şişli district. The two suspects were detained at Istanbul Airport as they attempted to leave Turkey. A second victim was later linked to the case. Sayyora Ergashaliyeva’s family lost contact with her after January 23 and sought assistance from the Association for the Protection of the Rights of Uzbek Women in Turkey. Her relatives traveled to Turkey and filed a complaint with prosecutors on February 6. In February, Uzbekistan’s Consulate General in Istanbul confirmed Ergashaliyeva’s death. Investigators determined that Ergashaliyeva had been at a house in Istanbul’s Ümraniye district. Security camera footage showed her entering the property on January 23, followed by Turdimurotov and Kamalkhodjaev. The next day, the two men were recorded making several trips from the house with black garbage bags before removing a white suitcase. Prosecutors said both women were killed at the house and their remains disposed of in garbage containers in different parts of Istanbul. Khakimova’s remains were recovered, but authorities have not reported finding Ergashaliyeva’s. During the trial, Kamalkhodjaev said he and Ergashaliyeva had been married in a religious ceremony and that he had killed her over what he described as her infidelity. He denied involvement in Khakimova’s killing. Turdimurotov admitted killing Khakimova. In his final statement, he expressed remorse and said he deserved the harshest punishment. Khakimova’s killing prompted protests in Istanbul and Ankara. Women’s rights organizations called for stronger protections against violence, with activists drawing particular attention to the vulnerability of migrant women. On January 30, Khakimova’s remains were repatriated to Uzbekistan, while her two children also returned home. The costs were covered by Uzbekistan’s Consulate General and Migration Agency.

Illegal Migration

Uzbekistan Proposes Up to 15 Years in Prison for Organizing Illegal Migration

Uzbekistan wants to introduce a separate criminal offense for organizers of illegal migration, carrying penalties of up to 15 years in prison. The proposal comes at a time when large numbers of Uzbeks continue to work abroad, with Russia still the largest destination, even as conditions for migrant workers there become increasingly restrictive and risky. The draft amendments are open for public discussion until September 8. They would create a new criminal offense for organizing or assisting illegal migration for financial gain, including arranging unlawful border crossings or transit through Uzbekistan. Penalties would start at three to five years in prison or restricted liberty and could rise to 10–15 years in the most serious cases, including those involving large sums of money or danger to people’s lives or health. Article 223 of the Criminal Code already criminalizes unlawful border crossings, entry, and departure, but there is no separate article targeting those who organize or facilitate illegal migration for profit. The issue is particularly sensitive for Uzbekistan because of the scale of labor migration. Russia remains the main foreign labor market for Uzbek citizens. According to the latest Uzbek data, around 1.4 million citizens are working abroad, including about 834,200 in Russia. Conditions for migrants in Russia, meanwhile, are becoming more restrictive. Checks on migrants have intensified, while Russian federal and regional authorities have tightened restrictions on foreign workers in a number of sectors. Tashkent has also warned of citizens being recruited into armed conflicts and foreign military service. Such cases are already reaching Uzbek courts. In February 2026, a court sentenced a 38-year-old Uzbek citizen to three years and one month in prison for participating in the war in Ukraine on Russia’s side. The man told the court that after being detained for violating migration rules, he was offered a military contract under threat of deportation. He was found guilty of mercenary activity and entering military or similar service for a foreign state. Tashkent has repeatedly warned its citizens that service in foreign militaries can result in criminal prosecution. At the same time, Uzbek authorities are increasingly having to intervene following migration raids and disputes involving Russian law enforcement agencies. After a raid on a cafe in Khabarovsk in December 2025, where Central Asian migrants were reportedly injured, Uzbekistan sent Russia a diplomatic note requesting an investigation. Remittances remain an important source of income for Uzbek families. In the first half of 2026, Uzbekistan received $9.3 billion in cross-border remittances, up 13% from a year earlier. Tashkent therefore has to balance preserving access to its citizens’ largest foreign labor market, protecting their rights, and combating illegal intermediaries.

Bloggers’ Rights

Uzbekistan’s New Bloggers’ Council Has No Confirmed Leader

Uzbekistan’s Union of Journalists says it plans to help bloggers when officials refuse to provide information or when they face pressure over their work. The proposal follows several prosecutions of bloggers known for reporting on alleged local corruption or criticizing public officials. The initiative immediately encountered a leadership problem: one day after the Creative Council of Bloggers was announced, the blogger expected to lead it said he had declined the position. The Union of Journalists announced the council on August 7, saying the decision reflected the growing role of bloggers in Uzbekistan. According to the union, bloggers increasingly compete with traditional media for audiences and influence public debate. The council is expected to advise bloggers on legal issues, including cases in which officials obstruct access to information or third parties apply pressure. It also plans training in media law and ethics, along with digital security and media literacy. Shukhratjon Oripov, acting chairman of the Union of Journalists, said bloggers had become independent participants in the country’s information landscape. The council’s leadership remains unclear. Journalist and blogger Eldar Asanov was initially named for the post. On August 8, however, Asanov said he had received the offer but declined it. He said he had proposed that the Union of Journalists establish a bloggers’ club instead. Gazeta.uz subsequently corrected its original report. Among the bloggers prosecuted in recent years are Otabek Sattoriy and Olimjon Khaidarov, both of whom had reported allegations of local corruption. Sattoriy, founder of the YouTube channel Xalq Fikri, or People’s Opinion, covered social and economic problems in the Surkhandarya region. Shortly before his arrest, he was reporting on farmers whose land had allegedly been seized by a senior local official and transferred to a company owned by businessman and senator Murtazo Rakhmatov. On May 10, 2021, Sattoriy was convicted on four counts of extortion and one count of slander and sentenced to six and a half years in prison. On February 5, 2024, after about three years behind bars, a court released him and replaced the remainder of his sentence with correctional labor, with 20% of his earnings to be withheld for the state. On December 1, 2023, a court in the Ferghana region sentenced blogger Olimjon Khaidarov to eight years in prison on a large-scale extortion charge and speech-related charges of slander and insult. Khaidarov, who had nearly 30,000 YouTube followers, was known locally for reporting allegations of corruption and criticizing local authorities. One slander charge concerned a claim by the mayor of Kokand that a post about the off-the-books sale of parking spaces had defamed him. Police alleged that Khaidarov had demanded $10,000 from the head of Kokand’s Istiklal bazaar in exchange for withholding negative coverage and said he was detained while receiving the final $2,500. Khaidarov denied wrongdoing and said he had been set up in retaliation for his reporting. Human Rights Watch described his conviction as the latest in a series of criminal cases against bloggers and journalists in Uzbekistan. In Reporters Without Borders’ (RSF)...