Scholar Mubashshir Ahmad sentenced to two and a half years in prison

The court found the scholar guilty on all three charges brought by the investigation – illegal distribution of religious materials, dissemination of content allegedly threatening public order, and incitement of ethnic hatred. According to the verdict:

• Under Article 156 (incitement of national, racial, ethnic, or religious hatred), he was sentenced to two years of imprisonment.
• Under Article 244-1 (production, possession, or distribution of materials threatening public security or public order), he received two years of imprisonment.
• Under Article 244-3 (illegal production, possession, import, or distribution of religious materials), he was sentenced to six months of correctional labor, with 20% of his income withheld.

By combining the penalties, the court issued a final sentence of two and a half years of imprisonment.

Earlier, at the fourth court hearing held on September 18, the prosecutor had requested a seven-year prison sentence and a substantial fine, despite the absence of proven charges. This harsh demand had already sparked widespread concern among the hundreds of citizens who attended the open trial, many of whom viewed the proceedings as profoundly unfair.

The defense had argued that the accusations were either baseless or carried no social danger, calling for the charges to be dropped. They emphasized that Mubashshir Ahmad had devoted his life to education, moral guidance, and the intellectual development of young people, urging the court to consider his contribution to society and his role as the sole provider for his family.

Yet, despite these appeals, the court ruled to imprison the 51-year-old scholar – a man known for his calm reasoning, compassion, and years of service to his community.

Mubashshir Ahmad is widely respected among Uzbekistan’s religious and intellectual circles. He was one of the active voices in the Uzbek segment of social media and contributed to several educational and religious projects, including Azon.uz and Azon TV, as well as authoring several books on faith and ethics.

For years, he had been residing in Turkey. On May 8, 2025, he was detained in Istanbul and deported to Uzbekistan two days later.