A verdict is issued in the case of missing rare artworks at the Uzbekistan National University 

Yesterday, on 11 October, the Mirzo-Ulugbek district court on criminal cases heard the case regarding the missing books from the information resource center of the National University of Uzbekistan, and the verdict was read against the former head of the center.  This was reported in the "Zamon" informational program.

According to the investigations of the prosecutor's office, 57 historical manuscripts, 12 lithographs, and 9 historical documents of the 12th-19th centuries, worth 2.6 billion soms, stored in the fund of the UzMU Information Resource Center were looted.

Aziz Ramazonov, currently acting as the director of the Information Resource Center, asked the court to recover 2.6 billion soms from the culprits.

In his testimony, during the investigation, the defendant expressed his opinion that the charge against him was not proven and was groundless.

"You have heard all the statements and statements of the witnesses.  I am not guilty, I did not steal these books, I worked honestly.  There are no facts in this case.  Who said that I sold, offered or bought books? I have worked honestly for 40 years and have not taken a single book out of the library," he said.  

 At the end of the discussions which lasted more than two hours, the judge read the verdict on behalf of the Republic of Uzbekistan.  The defendant was found guilty under various articles of the Criminal Code and was sentenced to two years imprisonment, work in financial responsibility positions, and five years and one month of imprisonment.