Abdukodir Muminov
Blogger and investigative journalist; founder and host of the popular YouTube channel Ko‘zgu (“Mirror”), where he posted critical content about social issues and powerful individuals in Uzbekistan.
As of the latest reliable reports, Muminov remains in custody serving a long prison sentence following conviction in 2023.
The official court verdict listed a series of alleged criminal offences under the Uzbek Criminal Code, including extortion, fraud, violation of privacy, violation of trade/service regulations, and bribery (along with related complicity charges). These correspond to the following articles as reported:
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Article 141-1 part 2(a) (Violation of privacy, grave consequences)
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Article 165 part 3(a) (Extortion in an especially large amount)
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Article 168 part 4(a) (Fraud by a repeat offender in especially large amount)
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Article 189 part 1 (Violation of trade/services regulations)
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Article 211 part 3(a) with Article 28 (Giving/bribe-giving and complicity)
Human-rights monitors describe these charges as widely disproportionate given the evidence publicly known and linked to his online criticism of authorities and alleged influence-peddling.
Muminov’s trial took place before the Mirabad District Criminal Court in Tashkent in mid-2023. Prosecutors asked for an 11-year sentence, but the court convicted him and sentenced him to 7 years and 3 months’ imprisonment. The ruling also included a ban on engaging in journalistic or blogging activities for three years after release and an order to pay damages to alleged victims.
During proceedings, he reported that police interrogation included physical abuse and torture while in pre-trial detention, allegations echoed in later human-rights reporting, though Uzbek authorities denied them and no independent inquiry was reported.
Muminov is serving his sentence in the Uzbek prison system, with authoritative sources referring to his detention (particularly early pre-trial period) at Detention Centre No. 1 (“Tashprison”) in Tashkent and subsequent imprisonment in a general-regime penal facility. Exact current prison location per inmate numbers is not officially published.
Muminov has publicly reported, and civil-society sources have documented, serious ill-treatment and torture while in custody, including physical violence resulting in injuries, reportedly inflicted to coerce a confession. There are additional reports of punitive measures while detained, such as placement in punishment cells. However, independent verification of his current medical condition or ongoing health status is not available in publicly accessible documentation, and no sanctioned medical evaluations have been published.
