Uzbekistan’s President Explains Dismissals in the Interior Ministry and Criticizes Deputy Minister for IT

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has commented on recent кадровые decisions within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, including the dismissal of Deputy Interior Minister Bekmurod Abdullaev and Head of the Ministry’s Crime Prevention Service Khotam Kodirov, and has sharply criticized the performance of Deputy Interior Minister for Information Technologies Zufar Kurbanov.

Speaking on 27 January at a meeting devoted to issues of public security, the head of state said that coordination between units of the National Guard, internal affairs bodies and emergency services in maintaining order at large markets and in places of mass gathering remains inadequate. According to him, 87 crimes were committed last year at markets and in parks across the country, while 774 fires were recorded in urban areas.

The president paid particular attention to the slow pace of digitalization at markets. At present, situational centers operate only at the Chorsu and Farhod markets, which, in Mirziyoyev’s assessment, falls short of modern requirements and the objectives of ensuring public safety.

The activities of Deputy Interior Minister for Information Technologies Zufar Kurbanov were also criticized. The president stressed that despite more than two years in this position, no tangible results have been achieved in the digital transformation of the internal affairs system.

Mirziyoyev noted that the systemic problems and shortcomings identified are directly linked to failures on the part of senior officials. In this context, he recalled that earlier the former Deputy Interior Minister and Head of the Public Security Department, Major General Bekmurod Abdullaev, as well as the Head of the Crime Prevention Service of that department, Colonel Khotam Kodirov, who were responsible for this area, had been relieved of their duties.

At the same meeting, the president announced reprimands for Tashkent Chief of Police Ravshan Sultonkhodjaev and Acting Prosecutor of the capital Anvar Urmonov, setting a six-month probationary period for both officials.

Mirziyoyev also pointed to high crime rates in a number of mahallas in Tashkent, naming districts that lead in the number of serious crimes.

Earlier, media reports said that Bekmurod Abdullaev and former Head of the Department for the Execution of Sentences Rustam Tursunov had been taken into custody.