Court verdict in the death of Farhod Mannopov was read

The court has issued its verdict in the case surrounding the death of blogger Farhod Mannopov, as reported by Aziz Obidov, the press secretary of the Supreme Court.

On November 29, the Uchtepa District Court for Criminal Cases sentenced two individuals: A.Kh. (a 1981-born otolaryngologist from the Kashkadarya region, employed at the private clinic Star Med Centr under Omad Plus LLC) and J.Q. (a 1979-born anesthesiologist-resuscitator from Bukhara region, also working at Star Med Centr, affiliated with Omad Plus LLC). Both were under precautionary measures—A.Kh. with a receipt for good behavior and J.Q. under house arrest. The open trial concluded with the announcement of the court's verdict.

The trial was presided over by D. Kamilov, chairman of the Uchtepa District Court for Criminal Cases.

The court found A.Kh. and J.Q. not guilty of the crime outlined in Part 2 of Article 117 of the Criminal Code (endangerment) and acquitted them of this charge.

However, both were found guilty of failing to perform their professional duties properly, as per Part 3 of Article 116 of the Criminal Code. Consequently, each was sentenced to two years of deprivation of the right to work in the medical field—A.Kh. as an otolaryngologist and J.Q. as an anesthesiologist-resuscitator. Additionally, both received five years of liberty restriction in accordance with Article 45 of the Criminal Code (deprivation of certain rights).

Further, J.Q. was sentenced to three years, six months, and 27 days of liberty restriction, with two years of deprivation of the right to practice medicine, as per Article 62 of the Criminal Code, which outlines the calculation of detention, arrest, or house arrest.

The court also announced that the parties involved have the right to appeal the verdict to the Tashkent City Court on criminal cases, in accordance with the law and within the prescribed time frame.

Mannopov's case

On March 5, 2023, blogger Farhod Mannopov, known by his pseudonym "Mittivine," tragically passed away at the age of 27. Just days prior, Mannopov had suffered a head and nose injury while swimming in a pool with friends. Seeking medical attention, he visited the private clinic "Star Med Center" in the Chilonzor district of Tashkent to undergo surgery on his nose. Following his death, the Prosecutor General's Office announced the initiation of a criminal case under Part 4, Part “a” of Article 116 of the Criminal Code (Failure to Perform Professional Duties), citing the need for detailed interrogations, complex examinations, and additional investigative actions to reach a legal conclusion.

The investigation conducted by the Ministry of Health revealed significant issues: the anesthesiologist, plastic surgeon, and laboratory assistant involved in Mannopov's surgery lacked the necessary qualification categories and certifications.

In response to Mannopov's death, the Ministry of Health filed a request to revoke the clinic's license, leading to an economic trial that began on May 15 at the Zangiota Interdistrict Economic Court. This trial addressed the Ministry’s request to revoke the clinic’s operating license.

Amidst the proceedings, several artists began promoting the clinic on social media. The Prosecutor General's Office responded by announcing that it had submitted a petition to the court to revoke the clinic’s license, which was issued by the Ministry of Health to Omad Plus LLC, the company that owns Star Med Center.

On June 2, 2023, the Zangiota Interdistrict Economic Court ruled in favor of the Ministry of Health’s application, deciding to revoke the clinic’s license (No. 27390032) for medical activities. However, Star Med Center, dissatisfied with the ruling, filed an appeal. On July 13, 2023, the issue was heard at an open session of the Economic Affairs Judicial Board of the Tashkent Regional Court, which ultimately granted the defendant's petition, overturning the previous decision.