18-year-old man punished for insulting President Mirziyoyev

An 18-year-old man has faced punishment for posting an insulting comment about President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Instagram. QALAMPIR.UZ has reviewed the court documents.

According to the court ruling, the defendant, an 18-year-old resident of Ohangaron city in the Tashkent region, posted a comment containing offensive remarks about President Shavkat Mirziyoyev under a photo featuring Uzbekistan’s first and current presidents using his personal Instagram account.

A judicial linguistic and political analysis concluded that the comment contained statements, ideas, and words directed against the President, insulting his honor and dignity, and damaging his reputation.

When asked why he made such a comment and what his intention was, the defendant replied that he had no specific motive and had written the comment thoughtlessly. He fully admitted his guilt.

The court found him guilty under part 3 of Article 158 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan (insulting or slandering the President of Uzbekistan through the internet) and sentenced him to two years of restricted freedom.

Additionally, the following restrictions were imposed on him:

• He is prohibited from visiting places where alcoholic beverages are consumed or entertainment venues (cafes, bars, restaurants);
• He may not participate in public events (demonstrations, rallies);
• He is forbidden from communicating with individuals prone to committing crimes;
• He may not change his place of residence or leave the Tashkent region without the consent of the supervisory authority.

It is worth noting that earlier, another Uzbek citizen, Omonbek Yusupov, accused of committing a similar crime involving insult to the honor and dignity of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, was extradited from Baku to Tashkent.