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.
