Woman sentenced to 10 days in jail for insulting residents on social media
Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 10 February, the Yunusabad District Criminal Court of Tashkent held an off-site hearing in the case of a young woman accused of insulting the city’s residents on social media.
According to case materials, 24-year-old N.K. posted three to four videos on her private Instagram account on 5 February, containing derogatory remarks about Tashkent residents. However, she deleted them within five minutes.
The defendant claimed that her actions were triggered by a conflict with a taxi driver. Allegedly, upon realizing she was not a local, the driver told her: "You people are the problem. Ever since you arrived, Tashkent has been plagued by constant traffic jams. But since you’re a woman, I’ll charge you a lower fare."
Enraged by his words, N.K. recorded a video statement, which she insists was directed only at certain taxi drivers. However, bloggers later circulated fragments of her videos on social media, amplifying the controversy.
In court, the woman revealed that she had undergone anesthesia four times, which had negatively affected her emotional state, making her more impulsive and easily agitated. She admitted that at the time, she firmly believed in her stance, even declaring: "Let them jail me for 15 days—I don’t care, I spoke the truth." However, during the trial, she fully acknowledged her guilt, expressed remorse, and pleaded for a more lenient sentence.
The plaintiffs in the case were the heads of the "Bogi-eram" and "Bogishamol" mahallas in Yunusabad district. They deemed the woman’s remarks offensive and urged the court to take appropriate legal measures. The head of the "Bogi-eram" mahalla stressed that such actions must not go unpunished, as they could incite vigilante justice among residents.
After reviewing the case, the court found N.K. guilty of an administrative offense under Article 183 of the Code of Administrative Responsibility (petty hooliganism) and sentenced her to 10 days of administrative detention. Additionally, she is required to cover the costs of her stay in the detention facility, amounting to 15% of the base calculation value (56,250 soums) per day of incarceration.