Shocking abuse by Internal Affairs officers leads to prison sentences

On May 16, the Chilonzor District Court for Criminal Cases sentenced three officers of the Yangihayot District Department of Internal Affairs in Tashkent for exceeding their official authority and torturing detained citizens. QALAMPIR.UZ has reviewed the court verdict.

The case originated from the testimony of M.K., an inmate serving time in a penal colony in the Zangiota district. In August 2024, M.K. conspired with others to distribute a large quantity of drugs and informed RSS inspector B.Sh. about the location where the drugs were allegedly hidden — near the unfinished Minerva City residential complex on Katta Halqa Yo‘li Street. He requested the officer to ensure his associates could retrieve the drugs safely.

On the night of August 4, RSS inspectors B.Sh. and K.M. monitored the location, although it was outside their designated service area. They stopped and detained two individuals, M.A. and Sh.Sh., on suspicion of drug trafficking. Inspector B.Sh. reportedly staged the discovery of drugs by planting the material evidence himself, without witnesses.

Senior operative F.Q. from the Yangihayot District Internal Affairs Bureau arrived at the scene and began conducting an unauthorized investigation. According to court records, he used torture to coerce confessions from the detainees.

One of the detainees, M.A., testified in court:
“They took me into a room without surveillance cameras, handcuffed me, and forced me to stand facing the wall with my arms raised. They put several black plastic bags over my head and wrapped them with tape. I could barely breathe. Then they beat me on my back and legs and applied electric shocks.”

A medical report confirmed that M.A. sustained bruises and burns consistent with the use of electric shock.

Another detainee, Sh.Sh., gave similar testimony:
“They beat me in the stomach and face. One of them took a mosquito zapper and hit me with it. They burned my beard. They told me that if I didn’t testify against my friends, they’d burn me alive.”

Friends and relatives of the detainees, including a woman identified as A.I., were also taken to the Yangihayot DIA and allegedly tortured. A.I. reported being beaten until she signed a statement under duress.

“I was struck on the head with a baton. As a result, my eardrum was ruptured,” she said.

A medical report confirmed her head trauma, physical injuries, and signs of psychological distress.

Another victim, I.S., described being subjected to sexual threats:
“They pulled down my pants. One officer held a lighter to my genitals and said, ‘Confess, or I’ll burn you right here.’ I was terrified.”

However, a forensic examination conducted on August 12 reportedly found no physical injuries on I.S.'s body.

During the trial, the three officers — F.Q., B.Sh., and K.M. — partially admitted guilt. F.Q. denied using force, claiming that the suspects wrote explanatory statements voluntarily. However, all victims maintained they were physically and psychologically abused.

By court verdict, senior officer F.Q. (born 1987) and inspector K.M. (born 1991) were each sentenced to 5 years and 1 month in a general-regime prison colony. Inspector B.Sh. (born 1986) received a longer sentence of 11 years.