Over 220 Environmental Crime Cases Reviewed by Uzbek Courts in 18 Months

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — In 2024 and the first half of 2025, courts in Uzbekistan reviewed 220 criminal cases involving 403 individuals for environmental offenses.

In 2024, 140 cases against 245 persons were heard, while 80 cases against 158 persons were reviewed in the first half of 2025. Verdicts were delivered in 213 cases involving 393 individuals, while 7 cases involving 10 persons were dismissed.

The highest number of cases in 2024 was recorded in the Republic of Karakalpakstan (15%), followed by Jizzakh (12%), Syrdarya (12%), Surkhandarya (11%), and Ferghana (10%) regions.

In the first half of 2025, almost half of the cases came from Karakalpakstan (26%) and Samarkand region (23%).

Analysis of judicial practice shows that during the reporting period, the most common offenses were related to violations of rules on the use of fauna and flora — 116 convictions in 2024 and 77 in the first half of 2025.

Other frequent crimes included damage or destruction of crops, forests, trees, and other plants — 73 convictions in 2024 and 21 in early 2025, underscoring the need to strengthen measures against environmental violations, particularly in Karakalpakstan and Samarkand.

During the same period, courts also reviewed 2,466 administrative cases involving 2,737 individuals. Administrative penalties were applied in 2,235 cases (2,478 persons), while 231 cases (259 persons) were dismissed.

More than half of these cases occurred in Karakalpakstan, Bukhara, Samarkand, Syrdarya, and Tashkent regions. In 2024, 19% of the 1,812 administrative cases were handled in Tashkent region, 14% in Bukhara, and 13% in Syrdarya. In the first half of 2025, 20% of the 925 cases were registered in Samarkand, 13% in Tashkent, 12% in Bukhara, and 11% in Karakalpakstan.

The data indicate a need to intensify preventive measures to curb environmental administrative violations in these regions.

The most common offenses included illegal water use and consumption (377 individuals in 2024 and 180 in the first half of 2025), violations of hunting and fishing regulations (199 and 96 persons respectively), and unauthorized extraction of mineral resources without a license (202 persons in the first half of 2025).