Three Judges Detained in Uzbekistan for Illegally Reducing Sentence of Major Fraud Convict

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Uzbekistan has announced the detention of three appellate court judges who unlawfully altered the sentence of Akmal Shukurov, replacing imprisonment with a restriction of liberty. All three judges have been placed in custody.

According to the prosecutor’s office, a criminal case has been opened against former Deputy Chairman of the Tashkent City Court, Murodjon Mirzajonov, under Part 2 of Article 231 (Issuing an Unjust Verdict, Decision, Ruling or Resolution) and Part 2 of Article 236 (Interference in Investigation or Judicial Proceedings) of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan.

Additionally, former judges of the city criminal court — Odilbek Ilkhomjonov, Mirziyod Abidov, and Mukhtarama Turgunova — face criminal charges under Part 2 of Article 231 of the Criminal Code.

The investigation found that Akmal Shukurov, according to a ruling by the Mirzo-Ulugbek District Court of Tashkent, was convicted on multiple charges, including misappropriation of property on a particularly large scale through fraud, hooliganism, and intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm, and sentenced to eight years and one month of imprisonment.

Disagreeing with the ruling, Shukurov filed an appeal. The appellate judges — Ilkhomjonov, Abidov, and Turgunova — reviewed the case, applied Article 57 of the Criminal Code, and reduced the sentence to three years of restricted liberty.

The investigation established that M. Mirzajonov, the deputy chairman of the Tashkent City Court, abused his powers, interfered in the judicial process, and exerted unlawful influence on the judges.

As a result, the appellate judges, aware of the illegality of these instructions, overturned the original prison sentence and released Shukurov directly in the courtroom, issuing a decision deemed unlawful.

All four individuals — Mirzajonov, Ilkhomjonov, Abidov, and Turgunova — are formally charged and remain in custody while the investigation continues.

Previously, in October 2025, the court of first instance had sentenced Shukurov to eight years and one month in prison under Articles 168 (Fraud), 277 (Hooliganism), and 104 (Intentional Grievous Bodily Harm) of the Criminal Code. In December, the appellate court reduced the term to restricted liberty, citing partial admission of guilt, repentance, lack of prior convictions, and compensation for damages in one of the incidents.