Trial of journalist found dead in Tashkent hotel expected to begin next week

The trial concerning the death of Russian journalist Inessa Papernaya, who was found deceased in a hotel in Tashkent, is expected to begin next week. This was reported to QALAMPIR.UZ by Zokirjon Kuzyboev, press secretary of the Tashkent City Court.

According to Kuzyboev, the case will be heard at the Yakkasaroy District Court for Criminal Cases. The proceedings are part of the criminal investigation launched into the circumstances surrounding Papernaya’s death.

To recall, the incident occurred on October 20, 2024. Inessa Papernaya, a journalist who had worked for Lenta and Profil magazine, had traveled to Uzbekistan for a vacation. On the day of the incident, she reportedly received a letter. When hotel staff knocked on her door and received no response, they decided to enter the room. Upon doing so, they discovered the lifeless bodies of Papernaya and a companion.

Preliminary reports suggested that both individuals may have been poisoned by gas that had seeped into the room through the ventilation system.

The deceased were identified as Russian nationals: Radchenko Maxim, born in 1979, and Papernaya Inessa Viktorovna, born in 1977. A preliminary forensic examination concluded that the cause of death was poisoning of unknown origin. The incident occurred at the Karaman Palace Hotel, located in the Mirabad district of Tashkent.

In a separate but related development, the body of another individual, an Uzbek citizen identified as U.Kh., born in 1976, was found in the bathroom of a different room in the same hotel. As a result, a criminal case was initiated under Article 186 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan, which pertains to the illegal production, storage, transport, or sale of goods and services.

Asolat Gulomnazarova