Uzbekistan rejects outside interference in internal affairs - Sherzodkhan Qudratkhuja

In response to the inquiry from Maria Zakharova, the press secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, regarding a recent incident at a school in Tashkent, Sherzodkhan Qudratkhuja, the Rector of the University of Journalism and Mass Communications of Uzbekistan, has expressed strong disapproval of foreign involvement in Uzbekistan’s internal matters.

"It is absolutely unacceptable for a teacher to use force against a student. Moreover, any interference from another country in our internal affairs is unequivocally unacceptable," stated Qudratkhuja.

He emphasized that the incident should not be framed with an international or inter-linguistic perspective, as it is a local issue that has sparked widespread outrage among citizens. "I, like many of our compatriots, was shocked after seeing the video. The teacher's behavior has incited anger and protests across various social media platforms. All citizens in our country have equal rights, regardless of the language they speak," he added.

Qudratkhuja condemned the use of force in educational institutions and assured that the incident would be legally assessed, with those responsible facing appropriate consequences. "There is no doubt that Uzbekistan is an independent sovereign state that does not accept outside interference in its internal affairs. This is my reaction to Maria Zakharova’s statement. Additionally, the Russian Federation has its own internal challenges that require attention," he remarked.

Earlier, Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis, Alisher Kadyrov, also criticized Zakharova’s remarks, suggesting that it would be better for her country to focus on its own issues rather than meddling in Uzbekistan's affairs.