Will Aziz Voitov's court be open to journalists?

In the criminal case against former Minister of Agriculture Aziz Voitov and 49 others, the use of recording equipment by journalists is permitted only with the presiding judge's approval. This information was provided by the Tashkent city courts.

It is noted that this criminal case is being thoroughly reviewed at the Yunusabad District Court.

"At yesterday's court session, the lawyers for some of the defendants discussed the participation of media workers in the proceedings. The court partially granted the lawyers' request. According to this ruling, the participation of media personnel as observers in the open court session is not strictly prohibited. However, the use of recording equipment (such as taking photos and videos, or making audio recordings) is allowed only with the permission of the presiding judge.

"Given that this criminal case is being heard in an open court session, there is no obstacle for media workers to directly observe the process, make necessary notes, and publish information without succumbing to various predictions and assumptions," the statement said.

It was also reported that due to the large scale of the criminal case and the number of participants involved, additional measures are being taken to create the necessary conditions for media workers.

For information, Aziz Voitov is accused of committing crimes under Article 167 of the Criminal Code (embezzlement or misappropriation using fraud), part 3 "a", clause "v", Article 205 (abuse of power or authority), Article 206 (exceeding official authority), and Article 209 (office forgery).

According to the investigative body's indictment, the defendants are accused of crimes under Articles 167, 168, 184, 185-2, 189, 205, 206, 28, 209, 211, 228, and 243 of the Criminal Code. Precautionary measures include "arrest" for 29 defendants, "bail" for 15, and "release under personal recognizance" for 6.

We remind you that it was previously reported that journalists were initially unable to cover the trial of former Minister of Agriculture Aziz Voitov and 49 others due to requests from the defendants and lawyers to prohibit media access to the court session. During the first court session on August 5, many lawyers strongly objected to the participation of the media, even describing journalists as "foreign agents" and "exaggerating news." The Anti-Corruption Agency had stated that the court case involving the former Minister of Agriculture should be broadcast live on TV channels and the Internet.