Penalty given to tuning shop owner who boasted of violations to be reviewed

In Tashkent, Asadbek Jumayev, head of the Uzbelas Performance auto service specializing in car tuning, stated in a social media interview that he was proud of violating traffic rules and had avoided serious consequences by receiving only a small fine. Following the incident, the Mirzo Ulugbek District Prosecutor’s Office filed a protest with the Tashkent City Criminal Court panel, the Prosecutor General’s Office reported.

What happened?

In January 2026, a video circulated showing two BMW vehicles on Shahrisabz Street in Tashkent failing to comply with a stop signal from traffic patrol officers. Both cars were driving without license plates. One vehicle sped away, while the other slowed down but then continued driving without obeying the officers.

“I am proud of what I did”

According to reports, one of the individuals involved in the incident was Asadbek Jumayev, head of Uzbelas Performance. In an interview with a blogger, he spoke about the violation.

Jumayev stated that for such an offense, another person could have been sentenced to 15 days of administrative detention, whereas he received only a minor fine. When asked how he would react if he watched the video again in two or three years, he said he was proud of his actions.

Public reaction

After the interview spread on social media, members of the public and civic activists strongly criticized the remarks.

“If a violator openly says, ‘I have 100 influential acquaintances, that’s why I received a lighter punishment,’ this is not a normal situation,” wrote Rasul Kusherbayev on his Telegram channel.

“When the law is not equal for everyone and connections determine outcomes, trust in justice erodes. The most dangerous consequence is that violations begin to be seen as a model to follow. Justice is not just a word. It has value only when it is enforced,” he added.

Economist Otabek Bakirov also commented on the situation on social media.

“This young man who boasts of breaking the law is neither the beginning nor the end of a broken chain — he is somewhere in the middle. Disregard for the law, its open and demonstrative violation, and the accumulation of enormous wealth through such behavior begin at higher levels. Look at no-bid contracts, secret decisions, closed privileges. Isn’t that the same message — that someone is above everyone and above the law?” Bakirov wrote.

Prosecutor’s Office files protest

Following the public outcry, the Prosecutor General’s Office issued an official statement.

“The Prosecutor General’s Office has reviewed the video interview involving Uzbelas Performance head Asadbek Jumayev.

It was established that under a January 16, 2026 decision of the Mirzo Ulugbek District Criminal Court of Tashkent, Jumayev was fined 20 times the base calculation amount — 8.4 million soums — under Article 195-2 of the Code of Administrative Responsibility (distorting and distributing photo and/or video materials of law enforcement officers in a manner that damages their reputation),” the statement said.

“Based on the review results, in order to ensure an objective legal assessment of the situation, on February 26, 2026, the Mirzo Ulugbek District Prosecutor’s Office filed a protest with the Tashkent City Criminal Court panel,” the statement added.

Earlier, it was reported that a 10th-grade student in Tashkent struck a traffic patrol inspector with a BMW. A criminal case was later opened in connection with that incident.