In Uzbekistan, a high-profile trial has concluded in the case of a brutal attack on a third-grade schoolgirl in Ahangaran, an incident that sparked widespread public outrage in the autumn of this year.
The trial of Mirjalol Turonov
On December 25, the Ahangaran City Criminal Court announced its verdict against 31-year-old Mirjalol Turonov (referred to as M.T. in the Supreme Court’s press release), a previously convicted resident of Fergana region. Turonov was found guilty under Part 4 of Article 119 of the Criminal Code — satisfaction of sexual need in an unnatural form with the use of violence against a person under 14 years of age.
He was sentenced to 18 years of imprisonment: the first two years to be served in prison, with the remainder in a special‑regime correctional colony. The court also declared him a “particularly dangerous recidivist” under Article 34 of the Criminal Code. The trial was held behind closed doors, and both sides retain the right to appeal to the Tashkent Regional Court.
Case timeline
The incident occurred on October 16, 2025, when reports spread on social media about an attack on a nine-year-old girl walking home from school. Turonov was detained shortly afterward and placed in custody.
Earlier in October, during the investigation, a separate criminal case was opened against employees of the Department of Execution of Punishments under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. As reported on October 22, Sergeant Sh.O. and other staff were accused under Article 214 of the Criminal Code of illegally obtaining material assets or benefits. Whether these employees have faced trial remains unclear.
Public reaction
The case has fueled public debate not only about the crime itself but also about systemic failures in Uzbekistan’s penal system. Turonov had previously been sentenced to 16 years in a general-regime colony for the rape of a minor.
In August 2024, however, the Nishan District Criminal Court transferred him to a settlement colony under Article 113 of the Penal Enforcement Code, which allows such transfers for convicts deemed to be on the path to rehabilitation after serving at least one-third of their sentence.