Muzrabat District Khokim Reprimanded for Insulting Farmers

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Abdulla Mamatkulov, the khokim of Muzrabat district in the Surkhandarya region, has been issued a reprimand for violating the ethical rules of a civil servant.

The disciplinary action was triggered by an audio recording published in the media, in which the official rudely demands that local farmers immediately fulfill the grain delivery plan, using offensive language. The application of the disciplinary measure was officially confirmed by the Anti-Corruption Agency of Uzbekistan.

The high-profile audio recording, published by the Kun.uz media outlet, was made in mid-June in the district head's office. It captures the head of the district administration delivering a one-sided monologue, threatening farmers with prosecution, arrest, and the involvement of prosecutor's offices if they fail to meet their crop delivery obligations within a few hours. These strict demands were made despite the fact that Uzbekistan officially declared an end to the state planning system in the agricultural sector back in 2020.

Following the public disclosure of the incident, the Surkhandarya regional khokimiyat, led by Ulugbek Kasimov, initiated an internal review and formed a special working group. The regional administration publicly emphasized that relations between authorities and entrepreneurs must be based exclusively on the principles of the rule of law, mutual respect, and the protection of human dignity. A parallel review of the situation was conducted by the Anti-Corruption Agency, which recorded clear violations of the professional and moral standards mandatory for civil servants.

Based on an official representation from the anti-corruption agency, regional authorities issued a strict reprimand to Abdulla Mamatkulov. The agency reiterated the unacceptability of behavior that damages the reputation of state bodies and stated its intention to strictly monitor compliance with the service code locally. The disciplined leader assumed his role as head of Muzrabat district relatively recently, in May 2025, moving to the position from his post as director of the regional water supply enterprise.