Kidnapped banker, murder-ridden Andijan, Mirziyoyev's visit to Baku, respect for Jews – Analysis of the Week

The President of Uzbekistan visited Baku at a time when Russia-Azerbaijan relations are in crisis. Two terrible crimes were committed in Andijan. The victim of the murder in Surkhandarya was a 71-year-old grandmother. The head of "Anorbank" was kidnapped in France. With details of this and other local news that occurred during the week, the Analysis of the Week's Events is on QALAMPIR.UZ.

                                                  Head of "Anorbank" was kidnapped in France

The head of "Anorbank" in Uzbekistan, 48-year-old Kahramonjon Olimov, was kidnapped in France. Although the incident occurred on June 23 of this year, his case was revealed this week.

The fact is that Olimov was kidnapped in Paris and held in a basement near the city of Nice. A ransom was demanded for his release. After a certain portion of the specified amount was paid, he was released.

After his release, the Uzbek banker immediately went to the hospital. Following a medical examination, he was hospitalized with multiple injuries.

On June 23, Olimov traveled to Paris for a business meeting. During the visit, he also planned to purchase real estate through a notary, meet with Uzbeks in France, and stay at the Sofitel Arc-de-Triomphe hotel for nine nights.

After the meeting, Olimov began to be followed. He was detained on the streets of Paris and secretly kept in the basement of a villa near Nice, where he was physically abused.

One of the suspects was detained shortly after and charged with “gang kidnapping.” The search for the others is ongoing.

QALAMPIR.UZ contacted the bank for comment on the situation. An Anorbank official confirmed that the incident had occurred and said that Olimov had used his own money to secure his release, and that the money of customers who had deposited with the bank had not been harmed.

Olimov himself and the bank have not yet provided a more detailed statement on the situation, and there is no clear information about whether joint actions are being taken by the law enforcement agencies of the Republic of Uzbekistan with partners in France regarding this incident.

                                          90 thousand dollars were stolen from a bank in Uzbekistan

We will not stay away from banks. Ninety thousand US dollars were stolen from the account of Tenge Bank in Uzbekistan, which belongs to Kazakhstan's Halyk Bank.

As it turned out, on June 18 of this year, the head of the retail services department of Tenge Bank filed a complaint with the head of the Department for Coordination of Activities of Internal Affairs Bodies of the Yashnabad district.

In his application, he reported that unknown persons had robbed him of \$90,000. As a result of the investigation, it was found that on the same day, several individuals went to the bank's cash desk as customers and, in order to cash out the \$90,000 on their bank cards, withdrew the money by entering false information into the point-of-sale terminal.

Rapid technical measures were immediately taken, and all members of the criminal group that committed these actions were detained.

During the operation, 12 mobile phones, a point-of-sale terminal, 9 bank cards, 1,670,000 soums, and \$36,495 were seized as material evidence. A total of nine individuals were detained under Article 221 of the Criminal Procedure Code (grounds for detention).

                                                  Inspector was stabbed to death in Andijan

One of the most shocking events of the past week was the stabbing death of a 65-year-old man in Andijan. On July 1, a preventive inspector was fatally stabbed while responding to a call in the Khojaobod district of Andijan region.

At approximately 20:50, the inspector received a report of a domestic altercation at a house in the "Yuksalish" mahalla of Khojaobod district. Regional preventive inspector, Senior Lieutenant Abdurasul Abduvaliyev, arrived at the scene with the chairman of the mahalla.

It was later revealed that 65-year-old Yunusali Kholbozorov was intoxicated and threatening his family members with a kitchen knife. During the attempt to neutralize him, Kholbozorov stabbed Senior Lieutenant Abduvaliyev in the chest and fled the scene.

Despite receiving assistance, Abduvaliyev died en route to the hospital.

A criminal case has been opened under Part 2, Article 97 (Intentional Murder) of the Criminal Code. The search for the suspect did not take long. He was found hiding in a haystack near the mahalla cemetery and arrested three days later, on July 4. However, the suspect did not surrender willingly. During the arrest, he stabbed himself in the abdomen. First aid was administered, and he was transported to the hospital.

Another horrific crime occurred in Andijan last week. A man intentionally killed his wife in the middle of the road following a domestic dispute.

Footage of the woman lying on the road, covered in blood, went viral on social media.

A criminal case has been opened against the man under Part 1 of Article 97 of the Criminal Code (Intentional Murder). During the investigation, the suspect was identified and apprehended by night patrol officers in the Kumakay neighborhood of the Altynkol district of Andijan region. He is currently in custody, and the investigation is ongoing.

In Surkhandarya, another shocking murder was reported this week. The victim was a 71-year-old woman who was found dead in her home on the morning of July 1 with multiple stab wounds. The woman, born in 1954 and residing in the “Buyuk Kelajak” neighborhood of the Denov district, had been stabbed four times in the head.

Her body was discovered when her grandson, who was temporarily living with her, entered the house and tried to wake her. He found her dead with severe head injuries.

A criminal case has been opened under Part 1 of Article 97 of the Criminal Code (Intentional Murder), and investigative measures are currently underway. The district prosecutor’s office is leading the investigation.

Hearing about such tragic incidents raises a troubling question: are these events driven by greed, poverty, or ignorance? What do you believe is the root cause?

                                                   The Central Bank has warned lending institutions

When it comes to poverty and people running out of money, it is worth mentioning that in recent years, loans taken by ordinary citizens without considering their future have often led not to wealth, but to deeper poverty. Loans taken without considering the repayment source—akin to giving one’s life to the bank—have driven not only borrowers but also bank employees into despair. On the other hand, easier methods of collecting loan repayments have emerged. As soon as any money appears on a borrower’s bank card—whether they took a loan or bought something on credit—banks immediately withdraw it to repay the debt. They do not consider whether the borrower has food, bread, tea, potatoes, or onions at home. The Central Bank issued a warning to lending institutions on this very issue last week.

The Central Bank assessed the withdrawal of social benefits paid by the state to repay loan debts as a practice that contradicts principles of justice and fairness.

It was noted that among the appeals received by the Central Bank, there were cases where credit organizations automatically withdrew state-provided social benefits from citizens’ bank cards to repay debts.

Social benefits paid to vulnerable groups—child support for low-income families, disability benefits, temporary incapacity payments, and similar assistance—are state-provided social protection funds.

According to Article 57 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the state protects the rights of the elderly, people with disabilities, and other socially vulnerable groups.

Furthermore, Article 21 of the Law “On Protection of Consumer Rights” prohibits the signing of contracts that infringe on the consumer rights established by law or that deny legally established privileges and advantages.

In this regard, all credit organizations are instructed to:

– revise internal procedures and automatic repayment systems to prevent unauthorized redirection of social payments toward loan repayments;

– in cases of citizen complaints regarding such incidents, halt the collections and take immediate measures to return the withdrawn funds to the customer.

One more point should be mentioned. In recent years, obtaining a loan in Uzbekistan and formalizing it has become much easier. It can be done remotely, using mobile apps. It is even possible to obtain a loan in one’s name but to a completely different bank card, using only personal information. This opens the door to scammers and fraudsters. I have personally received calls from people pretending to be Internal Affairs officers, asking for my personal information. My advice is to be cautious when sharing personal and card information in phone conversations or online platforms.

                                        More than 800 people were scammed while trying to buy a car

The main dream of many Uzbeks remains owning a car and hosting a wedding loud enough to be heard across seven neighborhoods. So, even when fraud is repeatedly exposed, people still fall for it in their pursuit of a car.

Last week, individuals who promised to deliver cars at low-interest rates and embezzled people’s money were detained.

It was reported that a group of citizens promoted on social media that they could deliver any type of car to clients at 6–12 percent interest. These individuals established various LLCs in Tashkent, Andijan, Namangan, Fergana, Syrdarya, Samarkand, Bukhara, Navoi, Khorezm, Surkhandarya, Kashkadarya, and in Nukus. These companies included names such as “Umid Avto Companies,” “Umid Savdo Fayz Invest,” “Umid Avto Lizing,” “Umid Auto,” “Group Of Companies UAL,” “Umid Avto-Tashkent,” “Orient Auto,” “Umid Lizing Tashkent,” “Orient Avto-Lizing,” “Umid Auto Leasing,” “Group Of Orient Auto,” “Imkon Auto Xizmati,” “Business Orientauto,” “Umid Auto Xizmati,” “Orient Auto Hamkor,” “Imkon Avto Markaz,” “Avtovariant,” “Ava Orientauto,” “Ava Umidavto,” “Avto Ijara Hizmati,” “Umid Auto Business Tashkent,” “Ilgor Lizing,” and “Orient Finans Lizing.”

They concluded advance contracts with clients, promising to lease cars within 120 days, but failed to fulfill their obligations and embezzled the funds collected from citizens.

In connection with the case, a criminal investigation was launched under Article 168 (Fraud), Part 4, Subparagraphs “a” and “c” of the Criminal Code. A total of 843 citizens were identified as victims, with damages amounting to 50.1 billion soums. Authorities seized 339 vehicles belonging to the companies involved.

Charges have been filed against nine individuals, and an arrest was chosen as the preventive measure.

A special task force has been formed under the leadership of Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Colonel Ramazon Ashrapov. The task force includes relevant specialists, and applications are being received daily from 09:00 to 21:00 at the Department for Ensuring Security at Transport and Tourism Facilities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

                                                Khatirchi district governor hosts dinner for Jews from Israel

A video of Umidjon Adizov, the governor of Khatirchi district in the Navoi region, honoring and hosting Bukhara Jews living abroad has spread across social networks, sparking widespread discussion and protests. The district administration’s press service responded to the situation.

It stated that the foreign Jews who came to the Khatirchi district aimed to study the historical and cultural heritage of the land where they and their ancestors once lived, visit ancestral shrines, and strengthen friendly ties with Uzbekistan.

“The district governor’s reception of these guests is a clear manifestation of the hospitality and tolerance inherent in our people,” the administration said.

In the video that was leaked online, Adizov repeatedly emphasized that the doors are always open for them and that they are always valued. The district governor also stated that they would be given ample opportunities to engage in areas such as tourism and the economy.

                                                                     Mirziyoyev visits Azerbaijan

At a time when Azerbaijani-Russian relations are at an impasse, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited Baku and was received with great respect by President Ilham Aliyev. During the talks, Mirziyoyev noted that relations between the two countries had never reached such a high level in history. Similar recognition had previously been expressed by U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan Jonathan Henick, in reference to current U.S.-Uzbek relations.

During the visit, construction of Uzbekistan Park was launched in Baku with the participation of both presidents, and the new building of the Uzbek Embassy in Azerbaijan was officially opened.

Uzbekistan is one of the few countries that supported Azerbaijan in regaining control over Karabakh, which had been occupied by Armenia for 30 years. Official Tashkent recognizes the return of Karabakh as the restoration of justice and is actively contributing to reconstruction efforts. Uzbekistan has also funded the construction of a school in Karabakh. Whereas relations between Tashkent and Baku were minimal during Islam Karimov’s presidency, they have significantly strengthened in recent years. The two countries have intensified cooperation both bilaterally and within frameworks such as the Organization of Turkic States and the Economic Cooperation Organization. Additionally, Uzbekistan has supported the Middle Corridor initiative launched by Azerbaijan and is among its most interested stakeholders.

The Middle Corridor, also known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, is an international route that connects Asia and Europe while bypassing the traditional Northern and Southern corridors. It passes through China, Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey, and from there into Europe. The volume of Uzbek cargo transported via this corridor has increased by 25 percent, exceeding one million tons.

As part of the visit, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev traveled to the city of Khankendi to attend the latest summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization. There, he met for the first time with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Acting Deputy Prime Minister of the Interim Government of Afghanistan for Economic Affairs. However, in the press release issued by the Office of the President of Uzbekistan, Baradar was referred to simply as Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of Afghanistan, without mention of the “Interim” status.

The two sides discussed key areas for expanding mutually beneficial cooperation in trade and economic development, transport and logistics, and the energy sector.

The Uzbek leader emphasized the need to further develop cross-border trade and related infrastructure, and to promote joint projects in mining, textiles, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, agricultural processing, and other sectors.

He also underlined the importance of accelerating construction of the strategically vital Trans-Afghan Railway.

Mirziyoyev, accompanied by Aliyev, visited the "Imorat" historical and architectural complex in the city of Agdam. Among the guests were Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Ersin Tatar, President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is not recognized by any country except Turkey. Although unrecognized, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus holds observer status in the Organization of Turkic States and the Economic Cooperation Organization.

At the first Central Asia–European Union summit held in Samarkand on April 3–4, the presidents of the Central Asian countries signed a declaration with the European Union reaffirming UN Resolutions 541 (1983) and 550 (1984), and confirming their non-recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, along with a commitment to not cooperate with it in any form. This caused a strong reaction in Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has always supported Northern Cyprus and was a key advocate for its observer status in the Turkic Council and ECO, did not comment on the decision of the Central Asian states.

In contrast, President Ersin Tatar of Northern Cyprus stated that he understood the Central Asian countries were acting in their own national interests in dealings with international organizations and states but advised caution in their relations with Greek actors. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, in turn, expressed his intention to promote global recognition of Northern Cyprus—not only among brotherly nations but around the world.

In this context, the participation of the President of Northern Cyprus in a cultural event in Khankendi, alongside the presidents of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, and the display of the Northern Cyprus flag during the “Zafar” cultural program attended by Karabakh flag bearers, were seen as initial steps toward fulfilling Aliyev’s promise.

A separate program has been prepared covering Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s visit to Azerbaijan and the proposals presented at the Economic Cooperation Organization summit.