No administrative case filed against journalist Rukhsora Gafurova yet – lawyer

Earlier, reports suggested that an administrative case had been initiated against Rukhsora Gafurova, a correspondent for MY5 TV channel, who prepared a report on the fraud committed by a bank employee in the Jizzakh region. However, according to Gafurova's lawyer, Amrulla Ahmedov, no administrative case has been filed against the journalist as of now.

Ahmedov explained that on January 23, 2025, Mirzo Ulugbek, in the presence of the lawyer, provided a statement to the Federal Bureau of Investigation regarding the situation.

"According to Article 322, paragraph 3 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan, media reports may serve as grounds for initiating a criminal case. Information suggesting the presence of a crime can trigger the start of a criminal investigation," the lawyer said.

Ahmedov further clarified that only after the completion of the ongoing preliminary investigation, led by the Jizzakh regional prosecutor's office, will it be determined whether Gafurova's actions involved any violations.

It should be noted that earlier, human rights activist and chairman of the Ezgulik society, Abdurakhmon Tashanov, stated that Gafurova’s report revealed that the bank employee’s loan, taken out in the name of others, was partially paid by her husband, Supreme Court judge Sharofiddin Boliyev, using his credit card. Tashanov suggested that the judge was aware of the violation. The Supreme Judicial Council has announced that the matter will be investigated by the Judicial Ethics Commission.