Closure of criminal case against 17-year-old cryptocurrency trader in Bukhara

The criminal case against a 17-year-old boy who earned 34 billion sums through cryptocurrency trading in Jondor district of Bukhara has been closed. The investigator dismissed the case on December 30, 2024.

The boy, identified as M.Z., is a student at Bukhara State University. He fully confessed to the charges, explaining in his testimony that he is currently a student, the only child in his family, and that his mother is retired with an insufficient allowance to meet their daily needs.

According to the decision, the case was closed under Article 84-5 of the Criminal Procedure Code, as M.Z. committed the offense for the first time, posed no significant social risk, pleaded guilty, repented sincerely, and actively assisted in the investigation. The termination was made pursuant to Article 2, which allows for the dismissal of charges under these conditions.

“17-year-old Murodjon from Bukhara will not be held accountable. Investigators have the authority to make such decisions, and not every case needs to proceed to court. The positive aspect is that in Murodjon's case, the spirit of thousands of young people in Uzbekistan remains unbroken, and his dignity intact. He is not a criminal but a true hero,” wrote Rasul Kusherboev, advisor to the Minister of Ecology.

Following the investigator's decision, the charges brought against M.Z. on December 14, 2024, were dropped, and the bail measure imposed on him was canceled. Additionally, an iPhone 15 Pro Max, seized as part of the case, was returned to M.Z. The remaining material evidence will be stored with the case documents.

Previously, Shohrukh Giyasov, head of the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, addressed the case on social media. He clarified that the 17-year-old boy was engaged in ordinary virtual currency trading. Over a period of seven months, M.Z. conducted more than 4,000 transactions worth 34 billion sums on the Binance platform, earning brokerage fees.