Mubashshir Ahmad placed on Uzbekistan’s wanted list

Reports have emerged on social media that religious scholar and blogger Mubashshir Ahmad, founder of the information and analytical portal Azon Global, has been placed on Uzbekistan’s wanted list. In response, QALAMPIR.UZ reached out to the press secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Shohrukh Giyasov, for clarification.

According to Giyasov, Alisher Ahmadovich Tursunov, known by his pseudonym Mubashshir Ahmad, is wanted under Part 1 of Article 244-2 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan. This article pertains to the creation, leadership, or participation in religious extremist, separatist, fundamentalist, or other prohibited organizations.

It is worth noting that in August 2023, Azon.uz, the online platform founded by Mubashshir Ahmad, ceased operations. Following this, Alisher Tursunov relocated to Turkey, where he continued his activities through the Azon Global portal.

On December 28, 2023, reports surfaced that Turkish authorities had detained Mubashshir Ahmad at his residence. He was subsequently placed in the Binkılıç deportation center in the Çatalca district of Istanbul province. However, on February 21, 2024, the Consulate General of Uzbekistan in Istanbul confirmed that he had been released from the deportation center and reunited with his family.