Individuals attempting to organize public disorder in Chinaz sentenced to prison

In March this year, individuals who attempted to block a road and incite public disorder in the Chinaz district of Tashkent region were sentenced to imprisonment. QALAMPIR.UZ reviewed the court documents.

According to the court ruling, on March 4, 2024, residents of the Chinaz district — citizen A.O., born in 1992, and citizen B.Sh., born in 1985 — conspired to organize public disorder. On March 3, A.O. sent a video message through a Telegram group, urging people not to go to gas filling stations but instead to block the M-39 “Tashkent–Termiz” highway. Following this, local officials arrived at the scene and announced that the gas station would be reopened.

The next day, on March 4 at around 11:40 a.m., A.O. arrived at a methane filling station near the section of the M-39 highway passing through the Markaziy neighborhood of Chinaz district. Together with B.Sh., he intended to block the road and thereby cause public unrest. They urged drivers waiting at the station to block the road together. They also forced citizen Sh.M., who was driving a HOWO truck, to obstruct the road. Consequently, A.O. and B.Sh. used the truck to block the “Tashkent–Termiz” highway in the direction of Tashkent city, which led to a traffic jam and the gathering of a large crowd. A.O. recorded the incident on video and sent it to a Telegram group.

On October 13, 2024, the Criminal Court of the Akkurgan district reviewed the case. During the hearing, A.O. partially admitted his guilt but claimed he had not called on people to take part in public disorder. He also stated that he did not instruct the truck driver to block the road. In addition, he mentioned that he is the sole breadwinner in his family and asked the court for leniency.

As a result, A.O. was found guilty under Article 140 (insult), Part 3(a); Article 244-1 (preparing, storing, distributing, or displaying materials threatening public security and order), Part 3(g); and Article 244 (mass disorder), Part 2(a,b) of the Criminal Code. He was sentenced to 5 years and 6 months in prison. B.Sh. was found guilty under Article 244 (mass disorder), Part 2(a,b) and sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison. Both will serve their sentences in general-regime penal colonies.

It is worth noting that earlier this year, in January, a man named Gayrat Dustov was detained for 15 days for criticizing methane gas stations. Later, upon review, the appellate court overturned the decision, and he was released in the courtroom.