On July 3, the Shaykhantakhur District Criminal Court of Tashkent began hearing the criminal case against blogger Aziz Hakimov, known online as Comrade Aziz, on the merits. The proceedings are being held behind closed doors. The author of this article was also present outside the courthouse but was not allowed to attend the hearing.
July 3 hearing
Hakimov is charged under four articles of Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code: defamation (Article 139, Part 2), insult (Article 140, Part 2), propaganda of war (Article 150), and incitement of national, racial, ethnic or religious hatred (Article 156, Part 2).
According to court records, the victims in the case are Shakhnoza Ergashova, Rasul Kusherbayev, Nikita Makarenko, Nozima Muratova, Sherzodkhon Kudratkhodja and Madina Amreyeva. The case is being heard by Judge Sirojiddin Hasanov.
The proceedings are closed to the public. Earlier preliminary hearings in the case were also held behind closed doors.
Around 30 supporters of Hakimov gathered outside the courthouse on the day of the hearing.
After the session, defense lawyer Sergey Mayorov confirmed that the court had begun examining the case on the merits but declined to disclose details of the proceedings.
“Today, July 3, the trial on the charges brought against him began on the merits. All of us — the lawyers, Aziz himself, and his mother, who is also present — signed non-disclosure agreements regarding everything that takes place during this trial. The next hearing is scheduled for next Friday at 12 p.m. I have no right to say anything more about these proceedings. The hearing is closed,” Mayorov said after the session.
Blogger Nikita Makarenko said on his Telegram channel that he participated in the hearing as a victim.
“The first court hearing was held in the Shaykhantakhur Criminal Court against an opponent of Uzbekistan’s sovereignty, blogger Aziz Hakimov, also known as ‘Comrade Aziz,’” Makarenko wrote.
He also said that he testified in court and expressed hope that punishment would be imposed in accordance with the country’s laws. Due to the closed nature of the proceedings, Makarenko did not disclose further details.
In a separate post, Makarenko claimed that Hakimov’s supporters gathered outside the courthouse shouted insults at participants leaving the hearing. He also said he heard wishes of serious illness directed at the children of Journalism University Rector Sherzodkhon Kudratkhodja. These claims have not been independently verified.
A case that changed procedural course several times
The current stage of the proceedings began after the court granted a defense motion to return the case materials to prosecutors to correct procedural violations. Then the case was sent back to court.
During preliminary hearings, Mayorov alleged irregularities in the handling of case materials. According to the defense lawyer, certain documents were added to the case file after the defense had completed its review.
In April, the court granted the defense request to return the materials to prosecutors for procedural corrections. Then the case was resubmitted and is now being heard on the merits.
Hakimov was arrested in the fall of 2025. According to investigators, his online activities and publications contained elements of crimes related to propaganda of war, incitement of hatred, defamation and insult.
The defense has denied part of the allegations and previously argued that some of the materials cited in the case were published by other individuals or posted without Hakimov’s involvement.
Because the proceedings are closed, the testimony of the parties, the evidence being examined and the prosecution’s arguments are not being disclosed publicly.
The next hearing is scheduled for July 10 at 12 p.m.
Russian Foreign Ministry comments on Hakimov case
Two days before the trial on the merits began, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented on the situation surrounding Hakimov during a briefing in Moscow.
According to her, Russia is monitoring developments related to the blogger but does not intend to interfere in Uzbekistan’s internal affairs.
“He does not hold Russian citizenship, and we have absolutely no intention of interfering in the internal affairs of our friendly Uzbekistan,” Zakharova said.
At the same time, she described Hakimov as a “long-standing and reliable friend” of Russia and expressed hope that the court proceedings would conclude with a “fair and humane decision.”
Zakharova also said that, in the Russian side’s view, Hakimov had contributed to strengthening relations between Russia and Uzbekistan and to promoting shared spiritual and moral values.
Who is Aziz Hakimov?
Known by the pseudonym Comrade Aziz, Hakimov operated a Telegram channel and social media accounts where he regularly published content supporting Russia’s position in the war against Ukraine. He has repeatedly been involved in public disputes with Uzbek journalists, bloggers and human rights activists, including several individuals who are participating in the current trial as victims.
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