Uchtepa Court Sentences Blogger Alisher Tursunov to 2.5 Years in Colony

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 8 October, the Uchtepa District Criminal Court concluded the trial of religious blogger and founder of the Azon Global portal, Alisher Tursunov, also known by the pseudonym Mubashshir Ahmad.

The 51-year-old resident of Namangan, with no prior convictions, was found guilty on three counts under the Criminal Code.

According to the verdict, Tursunov was convicted of inciting national, racial, ethnic, or religious hatred; producing, storing, and distributing materials that pose a threat to public safety and order; and illegally producing, storing, importing, and distributing religious materials.

Taking mitigating circumstances into account, the court sentenced him to two and a half years of imprisonment in a general regime colony.

Additionally, the court ordered the blocking of pages and channels under the names Mubaşşir Ahmad and Azon Global on social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, as well as on the video hosting site YouTube.

The parties involved have been informed of their right to appeal the verdict through the established legal procedure at the criminal division of the Tashkent City Court.