Nude photos, a stabbed woman, an arrested “Tyson” — Weekly analysis

A 19-year-old girl was threatened with the distribution of her nude photos and extorted for a large sum of money. In Tashkent, an Uzbek man attempted to force a Korean citizen to use naswar. In Andijan, a female teacher was stabbed to death at a school. In Samarkand, an employee hired a “hitman” to kill his supervisor. Brutality in Turkey: the body of a beheaded Uzbek woman was returned to her homeland. A purge within the Interior Ministry. Many were shown the exit.

On social media, a video circulated showing an unidentified person in Tashkent offering naswar to a foreign citizen, sparking widespread discussion. The Tashkent City Main Department of Internal Affairs commented on the incident.

According to the statement, on January 25 this year, in one of the parks in Chilanzar district, a citizen born in 2006, identified as M.K., offered naswar to a foreign national, used obscene language, and deliberately violated public conduct rules.

The individual, who tried to portray himself as a “tough guy,” was found to be mentally sound and not registered with any psychiatric institution. Although it may seem strange, as people often say to describe someone as fully grown, this “fully grown” young man is only 20 years old. He attempted to force a Korean citizen to use naswar, insulted and pressured him, filmed the incident himself, and proudly shared the video on social media as if he had accomplished something admirable.

It is particularly alarming that many young people, often described as the “future generation,” take pleasure in such behavior and view their actions as something extraordinary. At a time when many are deeply concerned and angered by reports of disrespect, pressure, and violence against Uzbek migrants abroad, it is difficult to find words to explain why such an incident occurred in the center of the capital itself.

The video shows that the Korean guest was not alone and, realizing he was being filmed, repeatedly tried to cover his face with his hand. The Chilanzar District Department of Internal Affairs drew up an administrative report for minor hooliganism. The collected materials were forwarded to the district criminal court for legal action.

After being detained, the young man appeared tearful and apologized to both Uzbek and Korean citizens. However, an apology alone is clearly insufficient. One must consider what impression Korean citizens will take home about Uzbekistan. Will they want to return? What will they tell their friends who plan to visit Tashkent about safety and public attitudes here?

The situation involving Uzbek citizens in South Korea is already far from positive. Uzbekistan’s ambassador to South Korea has even warned of a possible suspension of visas. On January 17, Ambassador Alisher Abdusalomov raised this issue at a meeting with entrepreneurs, government officials, and ambassadors.

“There are many cases where our workers move illegally to places other than where they were officially sent. Currently, 9 percent of our citizens are undocumented. If this reaches 10 percent, South Korea’s Ministry of Justice will completely stop issuing visas. The problem extends beyond migration to education as well. Young people who go to language courses or universities leave their studies to work and become undocumented. This affects Uzbekistan’s image,” Abdusalomov said.

When discussing Uzbekistan’s image, it is also worth noting two very different situations related to Turkey. One reflects a highly positive example of brotherhood, praised by the Turkish side, while the other is a heartbreaking crime.

Let us begin with the positive and official developments. On January 29, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, accompanied by his spouse, paid an official visit to Turkey. At Esenboğa International Airport, the high-level guests were welcomed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his wife.

The two leaders attended the opening ceremony of the “Uzbekistan” residential complex built by Uzbekistan in Hatay province, which suffered severe damage from the devastating earthquake in 2023.

This modern residential complex consists of 24 multi-storey buildings and includes more than 300 fully furnished apartments, along with all necessary infrastructure. The Turkish President emphasized that the complex represents not only new homes for affected families but also a vivid symbol of the enduring friendship between the Uzbek and Turkish peoples.

It was also recalled that Uzbekistan provided comprehensive assistance to Turkey from the earliest days of the tragedy, dispatching 100 Uzbek rescuers and 70 medical workers to the disaster zone within a short period. As a result of search-and-rescue operations, Uzbek teams saved 18 lives and pulled nearly 200 victims from the rubble. A field hospital provided medical assistance to 4,000 patients.

Another joint construction initiative was launched by the leaders of both countries: the construction of an Uzbek school in Istanbul’s Bakirkoy district. Notably, this educational institution will become Uzbekistan’s first school abroad.

This would have been an ideal point to conclude the Turkey–Uzbekistan segment of the weekly analysis. However, a murder that shocked many also dominated discussions over the past seven days.

You are likely among those stunned by reports of the horrific death of Durdona Hakimova. Nevertheless, from a journalistic perspective, the incident must be briefly recalled. On January 24, a body with the head and legs severed was found in a trash container in the Duatepe neighborhood of Istanbul’s Sisli district. The discovery was made by a local resident collecting garbage and recyclable materials, who then alerted the police.

Following an investigation by public security officers, the woman was identified through fingerprints as 37-year-old Durdona Hakimova, a citizen of Uzbekistan.

CCTV footage from trash containers on Bozkurt Street showed suspects transporting the body in a suitcase before disposing of it. The severed head and legs were discarded in a separate container.

Based on the video evidence, Istanbul police arrested the suspects the same day while they were attempting to flee to Georgia via Istanbul Airport. The murder was committed by an Uzbek construction worker who had a close relationship with the victim, with the assistance of another Uzbek citizen.

“I met Durdona Hakimova on the day of the incident, and a relationship began between us. We argued, and I stabbed her to death. Later, together with my friend, we dismembered the body, packed the parts separately into bags, placed them in a suitcase, and transported them by taxi to Sisli, where we disposed of them in different trash containers,” the accused stated.

Following the brutal killing of the Uzbek migrant woman, protests erupted on the streets of Turkey, with women demanding justice.

“Yesterday, in the very center of Istanbul, in Sisli, the lifeless body of our female friend was found in a trash container. Her body had been dismembered. The authorities are responsible for Durdona’s death. If women are deprived of their right to live even in central Istanbul, this is the result of this administration. The perpetrator claims he met Durdona on the day of the incident, had a relationship with her, argued, and then killed her. How easy it is to say that. But a woman was killed. This statement is clearly aimed at reducing punishment. Durdona was a migrant. Perhaps she came to work, had dreams, wanted to build a new life. Those dreams were taken from her. In 2025 alone, 294 women were killed. All of them could still be with us today,” local women stated during the protest.

On January 30, the body of the late Durdona Hakimova and her two children were returned to Uzbekistan with the assistance of Uzbekistan’s Consulate General in Istanbul. The expenses related to their return were covered by the Consulate General and the Migration Agency.

Violence against women has always been a critical issue, regardless of time or place. During the past week, two more cases involving blackmail against women were reported. In both cases, victims were threatened with the dissemination of their nude photos.

The first case may sound unusual, but the details are indeed striking. In Bukhara, a woman created a fake male profile on Telegram and corresponded with her own friend, pretending to be a romantic interest. The communication escalated to the point where the fraudster obtained intimate photos of her friend and demanded $6,000 to prevent their distribution. Following this, officers from the Bukhara Regional Department of Internal Affairs conducted a special operation. During the operation, two million soums were transferred to the suspect’s bank card as part of the demand, after which she was detained with material evidence.

The second case occurred in Syrdarya region, where a man demanded 48 million soums from a 19-year-old girl in exchange for not releasing her nude photos. To put this into perspective, it would take an average teacher about a year to earn such an amount.

During an оператив operation in Yangiyer, a citizen born in 1998 and residing in Khavos district of Syrdarya region threatened to distribute personal photos belonging to a girl born in 2006 in Namangan region. He was arrested while receiving 10 million soums out of the demanded 48 million, with material evidence seized. Criminal cases have been initiated in both incidents, and investigations are ongoing.

Many commenters asked whether victims simply send such photos when requested. Overall, several incidents involving women sparked serious public debate this week. One of them was the killing of a female teacher by her husband at a school in Andijan.

The incident occurred on January 27 at around 3:30 p.m. inside a school building in Asaka district. The perpetrator and the victim worked at the same school. A domestic dispute resulted in the death of the 34-year-old woman. After returning home, the man stabbed himself multiple times. His brother discovered him and rushed him to the hospital, where his life was saved. A criminal case has been initiated against the man.

Two days later, in Bukhara, a preventive inspector saved the life of a woman who attempted suicide by jumping into a river. On January 29 at around 4:30 p.m., an inspector in Vobkent district noticed the woman and immediately intervened, pulling her to safety and calling emergency medical services. That day, temperatures in Bukhara were minus two degrees Celsius. It was later revealed that the woman was from Gijduvan district and a mother of four children.

The officer’s bravery was officially recognized. For his courage, decisiveness, and dedication to duty, Captain Amrillo Rasulov was promoted early to the rank of major, according to Interior Ministry spokesperson Shohrukh Giyosov.

While the public applauded the officer in Bukhara for saving a life, law enforcement and oversight bodies in Tashkent came under sharp criticism from the President.

At a video conference held on January 27 at the Security Department under the Main Department of Internal Affairs, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev criticized officials for failing to abandon outdated working methods, despite Tashkent being expected to serve as a national example.

The President noted that preventive work in the capital was poorly organized, and that inspectors were often distracted from their duties, making them difficult to find in neighborhoods. Inspections ordered by the head of state revealed that in some areas, inspectors were absent from their workplaces.

He also criticized the lack of determination among officers in combating drug-related crime, stating that the number of drug-related offenses in Tashkent alone has exceeded 4,000.

Earlier, State Security Service Chairman Bahodir Kurbanov reported that both drug crimes and the number of offenders had doubled. Deputy Head of the Agency for Control of Narcotic Drugs and Firearms Shavkat Qayumov also stated that drug-related crimes increased significantly during the COVID-19 period.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, drug crimes intensified sharply. Statistics show that synthetic drugs became a serious problem after 2020. Now, instead of drugs themselves, their formulas are being smuggled across borders,” Qayumov said.

The damage caused by COVID-19 is well remembered. Now, another serious concern has emerged. Due to the spread of the deadly Nipah virus, two countries neighboring Uzbekistan have tightened controls.

Starting January 28, Kyrgyzstan temporarily banned the import of animals and animal products from India that are susceptible to the Nipah virus. The country’s Agriculture Ministry stated that the virus is considered extremely dangerous, capable of transmitting from animals to humans and causing severe complications.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan has strengthened quarantine and sanitary controls at all border crossings. Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia have also tightened entry inspections.

In Uzbekistan, however, the official assessment of the situation can be summed up by a familiar phrase: “Everything is calm in Baghdad.”

Deputy Chairman of the Sanitary and Epidemiological Well-being and Public Health Committee Nurmat Otabekov stated that the epidemiological situation regarding the Nipah virus in Uzbekistan remains stable and that the likelihood of its spread is very low. He added that the World Health Organization does not consider the virus likely to cause a global epidemic or pandemic.

Otabekov became widely known during the COVID-19 pandemic for delivering virus-related updates, often stating there was “no cause for concern.” Similar assurances were heard even a day before the first officially confirmed COVID-19 case. While there is no intention to incite panic, caution remains essential.

Another disease is also spreading domestically. The WHO has removed Uzbekistan from the list of measles-free countries due to a rise in cases over recent years. Similar decisions were made regarding Azerbaijan, Austria, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Armenia, Euronews reported.

Experts attribute the surge primarily to gaps in mass immunization, leading to declining immunity, especially among minors. Most cases in countries removed from the measles-free list involve children under 10.

The WHO strongly recommends ensuring at least 95 percent population coverage with two doses of the measles vaccine. For Uzbekistan to regain measles-free status, it must eliminate virus circulation for three consecutive years and significantly strengthen epidemiological surveillance.

Therefore, if your family clinic calls and asks you to bring your child for vaccination, do not hesitate or make excuses.

During the week, reports again emerged of Tashkent ranking among the world’s most polluted cities. This, however, is no longer surprising. Even as everyone talks about ecology, an environmental official accepted a bribe to permit the cutting of trees.

It was revealed that the head of a district department under the Tashkent Regional Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection was caught red-handed while accepting a $3,000 bribe in exchange for authorizing the cutting of long-standing trees near his residence for construction purposes. A criminal case was initiated under Article 210 of the Criminal Code, and the suspect was placed under arrest.

When officials themselves agree to anything for money, it raises questions about what can be expected from others. This case shows that for some citizens, home renovation outweighs environmental concerns. Unfortunately, even stricter measures have failed to deter those destroying nature.

From tree killers, we move to an actual “hitman” case. In Samarkand region, an attempted contract killing was prevented, according to the regional Department of Internal Affairs.

Operational information revealed that a person born in 2002 sought to hire a hitman to kill a Tashkent resident due to an ongoing dispute. Law enforcement staged an operation involving an undercover agent posing as a hitman. The suspect promised $2,200 for the murder.

On January 27, during the operation in Samarkand, the 24-year-old suspect was detained after receiving staged photos of the “victim” and handing over $2,000. Further investigation revealed that the suspect ordered the killing due to conflicts and large debts involving a relative, born in 1996, who heads a limited liability company in Tashkent. A criminal case was opened under articles related to attempted intentional murder.

Staying within the criminal sphere, another case emerged in Jizzakh region, where a criminal group led by a man nicknamed “Tyson” was dismantled. This individual, born in 1986, along with accomplices born in 1988 and 1990, regularly engaged in violence, threats, and intimidation of residents, creating an atmosphere of fear.

During operations, it was established that the group disrupted public order near a local grocery store and assaulted a resident born in 1993, striking him on the head with broken glass. Others who attempted to intervene were also injured.

As a result, the victim was hospitalized with a concussion, a fractured frontal bone, and facial injuries. A criminal case was initiated under Article 277 of the Criminal Code for hooliganism, and preventive detention measures were applied.

Nurzodbek Vohidov