Additional Name(s): Shakhzodjon Tokhirjon ogli Zokirov
Gender: Male
Perpetrator: Uzbekistan
Religion or Belief: Muslim – Sunni
Reports of Torture: Yes
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Sentence: 7 Years, 6 Months' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: October/8/2019
Date of Sentencing: August/14/2020
Current Status: Not Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Discussing Religion & Religious Texts Giving, Sharing, & Listening to a Religious Speech Online Activity Possession of Religious Materials Religious Activity
Nature of Charges: Banned Organization Extremism Illicit Financing Treason & Sedition
Shakhzodjon Zokirov
Extra Bio Info:
Shakhzodjon Zokirov is imprisoned for discussing his religion on social media.
On October 8, 2019, authorities arrested Zokirov for allegedly downloading “extremist sermons” and other religious extremism-related offenses. He and seven others arrested around the same time were reportedly tortured at the Interior Ministry building.
On August 14, 2020, Zokirov was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison on various criminal statutes, including "financing terrorism" (Art. 155-3 UCC), “attempts to overthrow the constitutional order” (Arts. 159-1 UCC), and "creation, management, and participation in religious extremist, separatist, fundamentalist, or other banned organizations" (Art. 244-2 UCC).
Related Cases: Azimjon Abdusamatov, Ubaydulla Murtazoyev, Alisher Kasymov, Bakhtiyor Tursunov
Publicly Available Information:
Gender: Male
Perpetrator: Uzbekistan
Religion or Belief: Muslim – Sunni
Reports of Torture: Yes
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Sentence: 11 Years, 6 Months' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: October/10/2019
Date of Sentencing: August/14/2020
Current Status: Not Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Discussing Religion & Religious Texts Giving, Sharing, & Listening to a Religious Speech Online Activity Possession of Religious Materials Religious Activity
Nature of Charges: Banned Organization Extremism Illicit Financing
Alisher Kasymov
Extra Bio Info:
Alisher Kasymov is imprisoned for discussing his religion on social media.
On October 10, 2019, authorities arrested Kasymov for allegedly downloading “extremist sermons” and other religious extremism-related offenses. He and seven others arrested around the same time were reportedly tortured at the Interior Ministry building.
On August 14, 2020, Kasymov was sentenced to 11 years and six months in prison on various criminal statutes, including “financing terrorism" (155-3 UCC) and "creation, management, and participation in religious extremist, separatist, fundamentalist, or other banned organizations" (Art. 244-2 UCC).
Related Cases: Azimjon Abdusamatov, Ubaydulla Murtazoyev, Shakhzodjon Zokirov, Bakhtiyor Tursunov
Publicly Available Information:
Gender: Male
Perpetrator: Uzbekistan
Religion or Belief: Muslim – Sunni
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Sentence: Reduced to 7 Years, 6 Months' Imprisonment (Originally 15 Years' Imprisonment)
Date of Detainment: March/26/2016
Current Status: Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Adherence to a Religious Figure Possession of Religious Materials Religious Activity
Nature of Charges: Banned Organization Extremism Spreading Propaganda & False or Misleading Ideas, Information, or Materials Treason & Sedition
Alisher Muminov
Extra Bio Info:
Alisher Muminov was imprisoned for his religious activity.
On March 26, 2016, authorities arrested Muminov, a resident of Margilon, in Tashkent and charged him with “attempts to overthrow the constitutional order” (Arts. 159-1, 159-3) and an unspecified subsection of Article 244 UCC for allegedly distributing banned religious literature, among other allegations. Some of the evidence security services alleged to be “extremist” found on Muminov’s phone were poems of the popular religious figure, poet, and sportscaster Hayrullo Hamidov and recordings of the popular imam Abdulloh Domla. Muminov told relatives he was forced to sign a confession and was not provided access to a lawyer.
On an unspecified date, Muminov was initially sentenced in a closed door trial to 15 years in prison, which was reduced after intervention by the Office of the Ombudsperson for Human Rights to a shorter sentence of seven years and six months.
Muminov has served prison time in Jaslyk (2016–2019), followed by the Pap Prison in Namangan and Hasanboy Resettlement Colony.
In September 2022, it was reported that Muminov had been released.