Today, the proceedings ended against the former Prosecutor General, Otabek Murodov and the former head of the State Security Service, Ikhtiyor Abdullayev, as well as his deputy Jahongir Igamov, at the Military Court of Uzbekistan, the Supreme Court said. They were found guilty of Taking bribe and other charges.

During the closed trial were heard the testimonies of the defendants and of more than 70 victims and witnesses.

The court found Otabek Murodov guilty of a number of crimes, the statement said, however not elaborating of what kind of crimes.

When pronouncing the verdict, “the court was guided by the principles of humanism and justice stipulated by the Constitution and laws of Uzbekistan,” the Supreme Court noted. In particular, sincere repentance and for aiding the investigation, as well as for full indemnification of damage, Otabek Murodov was sentenced to 5 years in prison.

While, Ikhtiyor Abdullaev and Jahongir Igamovweare each sentenced to 19 years in prison.

In September 2019, the Military Court sentenced Ikhtiyor Abdullayev to 18 years in prison, and Jahongir Igamov to 16 years in prison. Ikhtiyor Abdullayev and members of “his criminal community” (there were more than 20 people involved in the case) were found guilty of organizing a criminal community, receiving bribes, entering into transactions contrary to the interests of Uzbekistan, extortion, theft of other people's property, violation of customs legislation on an especially large scale, in the interests of organized group and criminal community, and a number of other criminal offenses, by abuse of authority.

Ikhtiyor Abdullaev, the former Prosecutor General and State Advisor to the President, took over as head of the SSS in January 2018, replacing Rustam Inoyatov, who had been in charge since 1995. A year later, in February 2019, Ikhtiyor Abdullaev was fired, with investigation being launched against him in mid-June 2019.

Otabek Murodov was dismissed from the post of Prosecutor General on June 20 last year. The next day, at a meeting of the upper house of parliament, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said that Otabek Murodov was accused of bribery, with a criminal case launched against him. Otabek Murodov’s case was considered as part of the case against Ikhtiyor Abdullaev.