The case of former government official Nozimjon Abdullaev once again raises the problem of torture in Uzbekistan’s law enforcement system. In a recent report, Radio Ozodlik spoke with Bakhodir Abdullaev, Abdullaev’s father, who saw signs of torture and unhealed wounds on his son, who is serving a 15-year prison sentence.
Who is Nozimjon Abdullaev and why is his case important?
Nozimjon Abdullaev, a former official in Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Ecology, Environment, and Climate Change, was arrested on January 24, 2025. Prior to his arrest, he served as head of the State Inspection Department and had previously worked in several government agencies, including in the tourism sector. In June 2025, a closed trial of the Military Criminal Court in Tashkent found Abdullaev guilty of several articles of the Criminal Code, including “treason” and sentenced him to 15 years in prison.
Nozimjon Abdullaev was held for six months in the State Security Service’s (SSS) detention center in Tashkent, popularly known as “Gvardeysky.” Abdullaev told his farther that during his detention in the “isolator” (interrogation cell), he was subjected to severe physical and psychological torture, including beatings with batons, burning of parts of his body, and pulling out his fingernails with pliers.
Torture in Uzbekistan is officially prohibited under domestic law and in accordance with the international conventions it has ratified. However, in practice, allegations of torture, especially those involving the security services, are rarely investigated in a transparent manner, particularly when cases are classified or heard behind closed doors.
Allegations of torture and forced confessions
In his hand-written letter to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev which was given to his father from prison, Abdullaev describes the horrific torture he endured and the reasons why he was subjected to it. He claims that the purpose of the torture was to force him to give false testimony to incriminate two high-ranking officials: Komil Allamjonov, a former presidential administration official, and Aziz Abduhakimov, who currently serves currently serves as the Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change. Abdullaev wrote that officers of the state security services demanded that he confess on camera that he had received $250,000 from Allamjonov and Abduhakimov as payment for passing on information to the independent media outlet Eltuz.
In his appeal to the president, Abdullaev states that investigators linked his case to an article published by Eltuz on January 20, 2025 (which was later removed), entitled “Prime Minister receives 20% kickback from every construction project.” The article alleged large-scale corruption in state construction projects. According to Eltuz sources, Uzbekistan’s Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov allegedly receives a 20% kickback from the total amount of each major state construction project.
Despite horrific torture, Nozimjon Abdullaev refused to confess and denied any involvement in the publication. “They told me they knew how to kill me and make it look like an accident,” he wrote.
Eltuz editor-in-chief Kudrat Bobojonov confirmed to Ozodlik that Nozimjon Abdullaev had never cooperated with or been in contact with the publication.
Nozimjon’s father, Bahodir Abdullaev, told Ozodlik in an interview that during a two-day visit to his son at the Navoi prison colony in December 2025, his son showed him clear signs of burns that remain on his body to this day. “He showed me his fingernails and said that they had been pulled out during interrogations,” said Bahodir Abdullaev.
In addition to physical abuse, Abdullaev’s parents reported deliberate denial of medical care. Abdullaev suffers from diabetes, but according to his father, he was regularly denied medication. “I brought him the medicine myself,” said Bahodir Abdullaev. “But even when we brought them, they didn’t give them to him. They used his illness to put pressure on him.”
Nozimjon Abdullaev names two former high-ranking State Security Service officials who he alleges are responsible for the torture: Colonel Alijon Ashurov and Lieutenant Colonel Ganjar Uzokov. Both individuals were previously mentioned in an Ozodlik investigation into the creation of an unofficial structure known as “The Office,” which was set up to put pressure on leading business people and influential officials in Uzbekistan by threatening them with various investigations and extorting large sums of money.
Closed trials and classified evidence
Abdullaev’s trial was held entirely behind closed doors, and the case files were classified, making it impossible to independently verify the evidence.
Human rights activists note that the combination of closed trials, classified evidence, and allegations of torture create conditions conducive to abuse. Uzbekistan’s State Security Service is not accountable to the public; its detention facilities are inaccessible to independent observers, and complaints against officers are rarely made public.
Broader implications for human rights in Uzbekistan
Although Uzbekistan’s leadership often emphasizes the need for judicial reform and a departure from past practices, politically sensitive cases continue to be handled through non-transparent procedures. Allegations of torture, especially those involving national security agencies, are met with silence rather than investigation.
National and international law clearly prohibits torture in all circumstances and testimony obtained under torture is inadmissible. However, when trials are closed and evidence is classified, there is no effective mechanism to verify compliance with these standards.
As Abdullaev’s father said, “We are not asking for mercy. We are asking for justice.”
This article is based on reporting by Ozodlik (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty).
