Human rights defender Javokhir Muminov, a member of the Uzbek human rights organization Ezgulik, was arrested in Kashkadarya region on June 5, 2026, on suspicion of extortion under Article 165(3) of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan.

Based in the city of Karshi, Muminov, 35, ran the Telegram channel Inson Xuquqlari J. Muminov with approximately 2,700 subscribers, where he reported on developments in Uzbekistan and his human rights activities. Muminov also provided assistance to employees of cotton producer Indorama Agro in Kashkadarya who were involved in labor disputes and supported workers seeking to defend their rights through the courts.

According to a court document issued on June 6, 2026, Muminov was arrested during a special operation conducted by regional departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Security Service on the basis of an extortion complaint submitted by two officers of the Karshi Bureau of Enforcement.

The Case That Led to Muminov’s Arrest

The charges against Muminov are linked to a child support enforcement case involving Djura Akbarov, a resident of Kashkadarya Region whom Muminov had recently been assisting.

According to a series of posts published on Muminov’s Telegram channel, in July 2025, officers of the Bureau of Enforcement in Karshi, including Deputy Head Khusan Nurmakhmetov and officer Shukhrat Kuvatov, assaulted Akbarov while attempting to seize his mobile phone. As a result of the incident, Akbarov reportedly suffered a broken arm and other injuries, which were subsequently documented by a forensic medical examination.

In a video address to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, published on Muminov’s Telegram channel, Akbarov alleged that investigators had shielded Deputy Head of the Karshi Bureau of Enforcement Khusan Nurmakhmetov from prosecution and only referred the case against Bureau of Enforcement officer Shukhrat Kuvatov to court.

In May 2026, the Kasan District Criminal Court convicted Kuvatov under Article 105 of the Criminal Code for intentionally causing bodily harm. Muminov publicized the case and assisted Akbarov in seeking accountability for the assault.

On June 5, 2026, the same day as Muminov’s arrest, officers from the Bureau of Enforcement who had been accused of assaulting Akbarov, filed a complaint with police, alleging that Akbarov, his wife, and blogger Javokhir Muminov had demanded 220 million UZS (approximately $18,300) in exchange for withdrawing their appeal against a court verdict and refraining from seeking a harsher sentence against the officers.

After filing an extortion complaint with law enforcement authorities, one of the convicted officers transferred 50 million UZS (approximately $4,000) to a bank card registered in the name of Akbarov’s wife. Investigators subsequently characterized the transfer as proceeds of extortion, and the payment became a key piece of evidence in the criminal case opened against Akbarov, his wife, and human rights activist Javokhir Muminov on extortion charges.

Abdurakhmon Tashanov, Chairperson of Ezgulik, who is familiar with the case, told Uzbek Forum that Akbarov had sought compensation from the officers to cover medical treatment and surgery related to the injuries he sustained.

On June 6, police officers searched Muminov’s home in Karshi city and, according to the official search record, seized documents and books.

Allegations of Ill-Treatment in Custody of Javokhir Muminov and His Lawyer

In a complaint submitted to the Karshi City Prosecutor, Muminov’s lawyer Lazizjon Sharipov stated that on June 10, 2026 he and fellow lawyer Ibrohim Sodatov arrived at the detention facility of the Karshi City Department of Internal Affairs to meet with their client. According to the complaint, the head of the facility, Nodir Elmatov, “unlawfully” demanded that the lawyers leave their mobile phones in his office before being allowed to meet with Muminov.

Sharipov further alleged that Elmatov physically assaulted him by grabbing his arm and forcibly dragging him through the detention facility to an area not covered by surveillance cameras. In his complaint to the Karshi city prosecutor, Sharipov stated that Elmatov “grabbed my left arm by the wrist and above the elbow and, using physical force, dragged me through the corridor,” causing bodily injuries. Sharipov requested a forensic medical examination to document the alleged injuries which was then ordered by the Karshi City Prosecutor’s Office to determine whether Sharipov had sustained injuries and, if so, their nature and severity.

In a separate complaint to the Karshi City Prosecutor, Sharipov described that during the meeting with his colleague Ibrohim Sodatov, Muminov reported that law enforcement officers had “placed a bag over his head and struck him on various parts of his body”.

The lawyer further stated that Muminov appeared to have visible injuries and expressed concerns for his safety. According to the complaint, these injuries were also shown to the Deputy Prosecutor of Karshi City. Sharipov alleged that despite the visible injuries, no legal assessment of the alleged abuse had yet been made.

Sharipov’s complaint also contains a particularly serious allegation concerning Muminov’s transfer to pre-trial detention. According to Sharipov, when Muminov was taken on to Detention Facility No. 5 in the Shaykhali area near Karshi city on June 9, officials allegedly refused to admit him because of his physical condition and visible injuries. The lawyer wrote that Muminov was then returned to the Karshi City detention center of the Department of Internal Affairs.

Sharipov further alleged that Muminov continued to face pressure while in custody. According to the complaint, unlawful actions were being used to force him into confessing to the crime of which he is accused.

At the time of writing, Uzbek Forum is not aware of any public announcement by the authorities concerning the outcome of the forensic examinations or any investigation into the allegations of torture, ill-treatment, or interference with the activities of defense lawyers.

“Muminov Targeted for His Human Rights Work”

Ezgulik Chairperson Abdurakhmon Tashanov believes that Muminov’s arrest is linked to his human rights work. He highlighted Muminov’s efforts to uncover and document numerous criminal cases in Kashkadarya region that were allegedly built on the testimony of the same individuals acting as so-called “false victims.”

According to a media investigation, “on-duty” or “false victims” are individuals, who repeatedly appear as consumers, complainants, or victims in multiple unrelated criminal cases. Their involvement and testimonies may facilitate criminal prosecutions that might otherwise have lacked evidence to secure a conviction, raising concerns about entrapment, fabricated evidence, and the fairness of criminal proceedings.

These concerns have also been acknowledged by the authorities. In April 2026, Deputy Interior Minister Ramazon Ashropov announced a review of allegations that the same individuals were repeatedly being used as victims in criminal cases and confirmed that a nationwide registry had been established to track such cases following a media investigation that identified a complainant appearing in multiple prosecutions.

According to Tashanov, Javokhir Muminov had effectively become a thorn in the side of law enforcement agencies in Kashkadarya, particularly those operating under the prosecutor’s office. “He provided us with materials concerning the issue of “false victims” and exposed this problem not only in Kashkadarya region but throughout the country. After we raised the issue publicly, hundreds of similar criminal cases began to emerge from all regions of Uzbekistan.

In a Facebook post, Tashanov wrote, “Javokhir Muminov has been targeted because of his professional activities. The charges against him are false and legally absurd. He is a victim of corruption, and we have sufficient evidence to support this.”