Two Bloggers Detained in Urgench on Suspicion of Defamation and Fraud

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Two bloggers have been detained in Urgench on suspicion of defamation, extortion, and fraud.

According to the press service of the Khorezm Regional Department of Internal Affairs, law enforcement agencies received complaints from citizens, after which a pre-investigation inquiry was conducted into the activities of Furkat Rozmetov and Azamat Avezov.

As a result of the inquiry, criminal cases were initiated against the bloggers under several articles of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan. The charges include defamation under Article 139, Part 3, items “a” and “g”; extortion under Article 165, Part 3, items “a” and “v”; fraud under Article 168, Part 4, items “a” and “v”; damage to or destruction of crops, forests, trees, and other plants under Article 198, Part 3; production, forgery, and use of documents and seals under Article 228, Part 2, item “b”, and Part 3 of the same article; arbitrariness under Article 229; and dissemination of false information under Article 244-6, Part 3, item “v”.

By court decision, a preventive measure in the form of detention has been imposed.

Citizens who may have suffered from the actions of the named individuals are urged to contact the investigative department of the Urgench City Department of Internal Affairs.