Blogger Sanjar Karimov Arrested in Tashkent on Criminal Charges

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — In Tashkent, 35-year-old entrepreneur and blogger Sanjar Karimov, also known as Real Sanjik, has been arrested, the Supreme Court’s press secretary Aziz Abidov announced.

Karimov faces charges under Part 1 of Article 112 of the Criminal Code (threat of murder or violence) and Part 2 of Article 273 (illegal production, acquisition, possession, and distribution of narcotic substances in significant quantities). He could face up to seven years in prison. The arrest request was filed by the Deputy Prosecutor of Tashkent, and Karimov is currently held in pretrial detention.

The arrest was publicized following a statement by the Human Rights Society “Ezgulik.” Earlier, Karimov was suspected of extortion and illegal possession of firearms.

Reports also indicate that Karimov became involved in a criminal case related to the sale of his fiancée’s parents’ house through fraudulent actions by Shahzod Rismatov. Karimov claims he only saw the family at the notary’s office and purchased the property with his own funds, considering himself a third-party participant in the transaction.

On 21 November, Shahzod Rismatov was sentenced to nine years in prison for fraud, involving four separate schemes, including the sale of cars and embezzlement of $179,300 for promised business ventures.

The house remains in Karimov’s possession, while the court clarified that the affected family retains the right to seek annulment of the sale agreement in court.