The Yakkasaray District Criminal Court in Tashkent has found four individuals guilty in the case of the death of Russian journalist Inessa Papernaya, her companion Maksym Radchenko, and Uzbek citizen Khushnud Udekov, who died from carbon monoxide poisoning at the Karaman Palace Hotel in October last year. The verdict was delivered on July 25 by Judge Bahodir Kayumov.
The court proceedings began on May 26. According to investigative materials, the tragedy occurred on October 22, 2024. Papernaya and Radchenko were found dead in one room of the hotel, and Udekov in another. According to Uzbekistan’s General Prosecutor’s Office, a forensic chemical examination revealed the presence of carboxyhemoglobin — a compound of hemoglobin and carbon monoxide — in Papernaya’s blood.
The investigation concluded at the end of April, after which the case was submitted to the court. The defendants were charged with performing work or providing services that did not meet safety standards, as well as with unlawful self-willed conduct. They faced up to 12 years in prison.
The court found hotel owner Azamat Khujakulov guilty under part 4 (a) of Article 186 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan and sentenced him to eight years and one month of imprisonment. The other three defendants — plumber Nodirbek Kurbanov and heating equipment sellers Zayniddin Jamoliddinov and Abdurasul Yusupov — each received three-year prison terms. Prosecutors had earlier requested sentences of seven to eight years.
According to the court’s ruling, the convicted must pay compensation: 60.68 million Uzbek soums (approximately 380,000 rubles) to Radchenko’s relatives and 67.58 million soums (about 420,000 rubles) to Papernaya’s family — covering the costs of forensic examinations and repatriation of the bodies.
All convicted persons will serve their sentences in a general-regime prison. They have the right to appeal the verdict within ten days of its announcement.
According to the investigation, the poisoning was caused by a faulty heating boiler installed in the hotel. It was outdated, uncertified, had not passed technical inspection, and was due for decommissioning back in 2021. During the trial, Khujakulov partially admitted guilt, while the other three denied the charges.