Blogger “Abdullah” sentenced to prison for assault on the President

Blogger Yugai Valeriy, known as "Abdullah," has been sentenced to three years and one month in prison. This was announced by Aziz Obidov, press secretary of the Supreme Court.

According to the verdict of the Nurafshan City Court for Criminal Cases, the blogger, born in 1999 in Tashkent region, was found guilty under Part 2 of Article 156 (incitement of national, racial, ethnic or religious hatred) and Part 3 of Article 158 (assault on the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan) of the Criminal Code. He will serve his sentence in a penal colony.

The parties retain the right to appeal or file a protest against the verdict in the judicial panel for criminal cases of the Tashkent regional court within the time frame established by law.

It is worth noting that Valeriy was previously extradited to Uzbekistan on an Abu Dhabi–Samarkand flight and detained by law enforcement officers. A court later applied a precautionary measure in the form of arrest. While in the Republic of Korea in October–November 2024, the blogger made several insulting statements on social media that, according to authorities, could provoke interethnic conflict, undermine national values, and discriminate against citizens based on their religious beliefs.