The case was part of a broader criminal investigation involving former senior officials and politicians allegedly accused of extremism, espionage, and an attempted coup. Her charges allegedly stemmed from interviews she conducted for a research project on international aid from China to Tajikistan, where she reportedly spoke with two defendants, asking general questions not related to classified information. 5 February 2025 was imprisoned for 8 years. The court refused to apply a sentence that did not involve prison, despite Rukhshona Khakimova being the mother of two very young children – two and a half years and nine months old at the time. The court also reportedly ordered the full seizure of her property, leaving her family in a vulnerable financial situation.