Construction manager was arrested for demolishing historic mosque in Namangan

The construction manager responsible for demolishing the historical mosque in Namangan was initially arrested. However, his bail was later adjusted to a precautionary measure after he compensated three times the damage cost. This information was provided by Hayot Shamsuddinov, the press secretary of the Prosecutor General's Office, to QALAMPIR.UZ.

Reports indicate that a criminal case was filed due to the damage amounting to 554.4 million soums to the 19th-century architectural monument, the "Mysterious Mosque," in Namangan. The damage involved the complete demolition of its entrance gate and tower, which were in the ancient Ganchkor style.

O.P. was indicted under Article 132 of the Criminal Code for the destruction or damage to tangible cultural heritage objects, along with other charges. A preventive measure in the form of imprisonment was initially applied.

During the investigation, the accused, O.P., compensated for the 554.4 million soums of damage by paying three times that amount, totaling 1 billion 663 million soums. Consequently, as per legal requirements, the preventive measure against him was changed to a collateral preventive measure.

"Currently, this criminal case has been forwarded to the court for substantive consideration with the indictment, and it is being processed as prescribed. According to part 4 of Article 132 of the Criminal Code, if the material damage caused to a historical monument is compensated at three times the amount, punishments such as restriction or deprivation of freedom will not be applied," stated the press release.