Eleven Convicted Over Mass Poisoning in Tashkent Region

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The Buka District Criminal Court has delivered its verdict in the criminal case concerning the mass poisoning of kindergarten children in the Bekabad, Buka, Akkurgan, Pskent, and Kuyichirchik districts of the Tashkent Region, which occurred in September 2025. The Supreme Court of Uzbekistan announced that eleven individuals have been found guilty.

All of the convicted individuals were found guilty under Part 1 of Article 257-1 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan, which establishes liability for violating sanitary legislation or rules for combating epidemics.

The director of the Shark Milk Product company, R. O., chief technologist A. S., and technologist R. H. were sentenced to three and a half years in prison.

Three other defendants received three-year prison sentences. These are S. S., the founder and sales manager of Shark Milk Product; F. O., the founder and deputy director of the company; and M. N., an assistant technologist.

The director of Governess Business, J. Kh., the director of Innavation Outsourcing Servise, I. S., the director of Nishon invest, B. R., the director of Kinder Garden Group, F. D., and the laboratory technician of Shark Milk Product, D. K. were sentenced to three years of restriction of freedom.

In addition to the primary punishment, the court deprived the convicts of the right to engage in certain activities. The verdict may be appealed or protested in the appellate or cassation instance of the Tashkent Regional Court.

As previously reported by Supreme Court press secretary Aziz Abidov, citing the indictment, employees of Shark Milk Product, located in the Akkurgan District, failed to ensure compliance with sanitary requirements and food safety standards.

According to investigators, representatives of the enterprise acted by prior conspiracy with employees of the companies Governess Business, Kinder Garden Group, Innavation Outsourcing Servise, and Nishon invest. These companies provided catering services and supplied dairy and other products to 123 state kindergartens in the Pskent, Akkurgan, Buka, Kuyichirchik, and Bekabad districts.

The investigation established that despite contractual requirements to transport products using specialized vehicles with operational refrigeration units and to comply with sanitary standards, the deliveries were carried out in violation of the established procedure. According to the prosecution, it was these violations that led to the mass illness and poisoning of the children.

The mass admission of kindergarten children to medical institutions became known on 25 September 2025. Initially, 109 hospitalized children were reported, but the number of those seeking medical assistance subsequently reached 1,922. Fewer than 1,000 children required hospitalization, with 941 children assessed as being in a mild condition.

According to preliminary investigation data, the cause of the poisoning could have been kefir produced by Shark Milk Product, which manufactured goods under the Royal Milk trademark.

Following the incident, the Investigation Department under the Main Department of Internal Affairs of the Tashkent Region initiated a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 257-1 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan.