Disputed facts in Uzbek couple's death: Family calls for the truth

The recent tragic deaths of a bride and groom in Uzbekistan have sparked controversy, as their relatives accuse the Prosecutor General's Office of spreading misleading details about the case.

On December 15, the press secretary of the Prosecutor General's Office, Hayot Shamsutdinov, reported that a 29-year-old man, R.D., and a 27-year-old woman, A.S., had died of poisoning from an unknown substance in the Piskent district of the Tashkent region. The official report stated that the couple had been "living together without entering into a legal marriage."

However, the couple's relatives have come forward to dispute this claim. In an appeal to QALAMPIR.UZ, accused the Prosecutor General's Office of providing inaccurate and misleading information.

“How can a state agency give false information? Don’t they realize how many people believe what they say? If you read the comments under the news, everyone blames the deaths on the couple supposedly living together without a legal marriage. Shouldn’t the facts be verified before issuing a statement? We plan to file a complaint with the relevant authorities against those responsible for spreading this false information,” said the relatives.

The groom’s brother provided official documentation confirming that the couple had been legally married on December 10, 2023, at the Piskent district registry office. Their wedding ceremony took place on December 14. Tragically, a day later, on December 15, both died of poisoning.

The misleading information sparked widespread public reaction. The news was viewed over 16,000 times on the QALAMPIR.UZ website, 70,000 times on its Telegram channel, and over 700,000 times on Instagram, attracting around 300 comments. A large number of these comments either criticized the couple for allegedly living together without marriage or accused media outlets of spreading false information.

It is worth noting that the focus of this case should not be on whether the couple was married but on the tragic circumstances surrounding their poisoning. Relatives argue that such personal details are irrelevant to the primary issue of two lives being lost.

Increasingly, law enforcement agencies providing information about such incidents appear to disclose unnecessary personal details, diverting public attention from the central tragedy. In this case, the deaths themselves — not the couple’s marital status — should have been the key focus.

Relatives emphasized that while they grieve this immense loss, they also demand accountability for the dissemination of inaccurate information, which has caused unnecessary speculation and blame.

As investigations continue, the cause of the poisoning remains unknown, and the focus must remain on uncovering the truth behind the couple's untimely deaths.