Documented cases

12 people held for political reasons in Russia, Belarus, Georgia and Central Asia. Search by name, or filter by country, charge, arrest date and sentence.

Country

Urgency

Gayratilla Yoziyev

The case of DXX General Gayratilla Yoziyev has been referred to court. He is facing legal proceedings in Uzbekistan.

LAST UPDATED · NOV 10, 2026

Sirojiddin Adilov

Sirojiddin Adilov has been sentenced to 4 years in a colony of a specific type. He was acquitted of three other episodes.

LAST UPDATED · OCT 27, 2026

Juraek Mirzamahmudov

Former Uzbek Energy Minister Juraek Mirzamahmudov has been detained on suspicion of abuse of power and embezzlement. His arrest follows his dismissal by President Mirziyoyev due to systemic failures in the energy sector.

LAST UPDATED · OCT 22, 2026

Alijon Ashurov

A group of high-ranking State Security Service (SSS) officials in Uzbekistan have been detained in connection with a massive $90 million corruption scheme involving labor migration to South Korea. The scheme allegedly involved extorting large sums of money from citizens seeking work abroad.

LAST UPDATED · SEP 10, 2026

Dildora Khakimova

Dildora Khakimova is a teacher, blogger, and civil-society activist who publicly criticized corruption in the education system and provided support to community members. She was arrested in February 2024 and convicted in July 2024 on charges of extortion, which rights groups describe as baseless retaliation for her activism. Khakimova gave birth to a child in mid-September 2024 while in detention. Human rights organizations have raised serious concerns regarding the inadequate conditions for the newborn within the detention facility. Furthermore, she suffers from breast cancer that reportedly requires urgent specialized treatment which has not been adequately provided.

HEALTH CONCERNS

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Alisher Tursunov

Alisher Tursunov is an independent Islamic scholar, cleric, religious media founder, and commentator. He established and led Azon New Media and later Azon Global, online platforms combining religious content, social commentary, radio and video intended for Uzbek-language audiences. After being deported from Türkiye in May 2025, he was sentenced to 2.5 years of imprisonment on October 8, 2025. He was initially held in Penal Colony No. 5 in the Navoi region but was transferred to a specialized medical facility in Tashkent in early 2026 due to serious deteriorating health conditions.

HEALTH CONCERNS

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Tashkent, Mirabad District

Nozimjon Abdullayev

Nozimjon Abdullayev, a former government official and former head of State Inspection under the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. He was convicted of treason and violation of privacy in a closed-door trial. Abdullayev denies all charges, asserting that the prosecution's claims are linked to an article published by the independent media outlet "ElTuz" regarding corruption. During pre-trial detention, Abdullayev reported being subjected to torture by security officers and threats from other inmates to coerce false testimony. His health is in critical condition due to type 2 diabetes, which has been exacerbated by the withholding of medication and physical abuse, including burns and beatings.

TORTURE REPORTED

LAST UPDATED · AUG 20, 2026

Abdukodir Muminov

Abdukodir Muminov is a 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. He was detained on 8 February 2023 by law-enforcement authorities in Tashkent on suspicion of extortion and fraud. 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. Human-rights monitors describe these charges as widely disproportionate given the evidence publicly known and linked to his online criticism of authorities.

TORTURE REPORTED

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Shahida Salomova

Shahida Salomova is a human rights defender, lawyer, and blogger known for providing free legal guidance to victims of forced evictions and urban planning abuses. She also administered popular online channels on Telegram and YouTube focused on rights issues in Uzbekistan. She was arrested in December 2022 after publishing social-media posts critical of government officials and alleging corruption involving the president and his family. Her case is characterized by human rights monitors as punitive psychiatric confinement rather than standard criminal prosecution. As of 2025, she remains held in a closed psychiatric hospital in Tashkent with restricted access to family and legal counsel.

HEALTH CONCERNS

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Fazilhoja Arifhojaev

Fazilhoja Arifhojaev is a Muslim blogger and social-media commentator, known for online criticism of government policies related to religion and freedom of belief. He was arrested in June 2021 and sentenced to 7.5 years in prison for his Facebook posts regarding religious observances. On January 26, 2022, the Olmazor District Criminal Court in Tashkent convicted him under Article 244-1 part 3 of the Criminal Code. The case centered on his commentary regarding whether Muslims should congratulate non-Muslims on religious holidays. After serving most of his sentence, he was moved to a parole-like house arrest regime in December 2023.

TORTURE REPORTED

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Miraziz Bazarov

Miraziz Bazarov is an independent blogger and social-media commentator. Bazarov became known for outspoken criticism of corruption, lack of transparency in government finances, and calls for legal reforms (including decriminalising consensual same-sex relations) — issues he voiced on Telegram, TikTok, and other platforms. Bazarov was initially detained on 28–29 March 2021 following a brutal physical attack outside his home in Tashkent. He was subsequently placed under house arrest and convicted of defamation and insult. His case was marked by procedural violations and a failure by authorities to investigate the violent assault against him.

TORTURE REPORTED

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Tulkun Astanov

Tulkun Astanov is a Muslim activist and religious-freedom advocate known for peaceful advocacy on behalf of religious freedom and the rights of Muslims in Uzbekistan, including public protest and online criticism of restrictions on religious practice. Astanov was arrested on 22 November 2020 after protesting outside the presidential residence in Tashkent. In May 2025, as his original sentence was nearing completion, authorities initiated a new case against him, extending his imprisonment with an additional three years and two months sentence for allegedly disobeying prison regulations.

TORTURE REPORTED

LAST UPDATED · OCT 7, 2026

unknown

Browse by statute

Letter-writing guides: Russia · Belarus

Browse the full case directory

A plain, paginated index of all 12 documented cases — every record in one list, no filters.