US sanctions former Uzbek officials for child abuse and trafficking in Khorezm

On December 2, the United States Treasury Department sanctioned three former Uzbek officials under the Global Magnitsky Act for their involvement in child abuse, human trafficking, and gender-based violence at an orphanage in the Khorezm region of Uzbekistan. The sanctions, announced on the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, target Yulduz Khudoyberganova, Anvar Kuryazov, and Oybek Masharipov.

"Yulduz Khudoyberganova, who served as the director of the orphanage, forced at least three girls into sexual acts for ten months. In exchange for these acts, she offered money and property, using coercive tactics such as physical beatings, starvation, isolation, and threats to ensure compliance. Anvar Kuryazov, the former head of the district Emergency Situations Department, and Oybek Masharipov, the former head of the Khorezm Regional Department of Justice, also exploited the orphans. They demanded sexual favors from the girls as “compensation” for donations to the orphanage, and they visited the facility multiple times to commit these acts," the report states.

The sanctions freeze all assets and property interests of the three individuals located in the United States or controlled by U.S. citizens. Any companies in which they hold significant ownership may also be blocked. Additionally, the U.S. State Department has imposed visa restrictions on them.

In Uzbekistan, the officials were previously tried and convicted for their crimes. On November 3, 2023, the court sentenced Oybek Masharipov to three years in prison and Anvar Kuryazov to two years.

However, instead of serving their time in prison, they were sent to correctional colonies. The time they spent under house arrest during the trial was deducted from their sentences.