Blogger Sherali Komilov has been released early. This was reported by the head of the human rights organization “Ezgulik,” Abdurakhmon Tashanov, on his Telegram channel. According to him, the decision was made by the Karshi District Criminal Court.
According to case materials, Komilov was acquitted of several key charges. In particular, this concerns Article 165 Part 3 (extortion), brought during the pre-trial investigation stage. As the text states, “on the date when the blogger allegedly committed extortion, he was in custody.” He was also acquitted on the episode under Article 168 Part 3 (fraud).
The Ministry of Justice, as noted in the text, confirmed that the lawyer who filed a complaint against Komilov “does not actually practice this profession.”
Questions were also raised regarding the charge under Article 120 of the Criminal Code (besoqolbozlik), brought through Article 28. The human rights statement says that Komilov himself reported this type of crime and handed over video recordings of alleged offenders to law enforcement agencies, however a criminal case was initiated against him.
At the same time, the blogger intends to challenge other episodes. He plans to appeal to a higher court in cases of defamation and insult filed based on complaints by citizens A.A., G.Қ., S.E., and Sh.M.
Komilov spent 17 months in pre-trial detention facilities.
His detention took place on 15 July 2024 in the Kibray district of Tashkent region. According to Abdurakhmon Tashanov, Komilov was detained by officers of the investigative department of the Kashkadarya regional police, after which he was first taken to the local police department of Kibray district and then to Detention Center No. 1 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan.
In 2023, it was reported that a criminal case had been opened against him on charges of fraud and insult. In 2024, a search was conducted in the blogger’s apartment, during which items and equipment were seized.
Previously, Komilov worked in law enforcement agencies, then moved into business and blogging. He ran the Telegram channel “Detective” and criticized bloggers and religious figures (in particular, the religious blogger Abror Abduazimov, known as Abror Mukhtor Aliy). In an interview with the Uzbek service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (“Ozodlik”), Komilov stated that several criminal cases had been opened against him and that he had been declared wanted multiple times.
According to media reports, Sherali Komilov was previously convicted in 2011 under Article 165 of the Criminal Code (extortion) and on 14 March 2022 under Part 3, Clause “a” of Article 168 of the Criminal Code (large-scale fraud).