Ex–Andijan deputy governor walks free after sentence revised on appeal

Hamroev, who served as deputy governor of Andijan until his arrest, was detained on 14 October 2024 and later convicted of embezzlement and misappropriation of funds. In July 2025, the Yunusobod District Criminal Court found him guilty under Article 167, Part 3 (a, b) of Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code and sentenced him to seven years in prison, along with a three-year ban on working in the local government system. He was acquitted on seven separate counts.

The case involved a large criminal scheme linked to the misuse of preferential loans issued by Agrobank for the construction of greenhouse complexes. According to court materials reviewed by Kun.uz, nearly 30 individuals were convicted in connection with the case, including representatives of several limited liability companies in Andijan region and a majority of officials from Agrobank’s regional branch.

The court found that the founder of one of the companies had sought to gain full control over the use of concessional loans intended for greenhouse construction. To that end, he allegedly misled officials of the Andijan regional administration and Agrobank by claiming the ability to localize and supply greenhouse complexes in any required volume. An organized group was subsequently formed, with roles distributed among its members. Hamroev was identified as one of the participants in this group.

According to the verdict, Hamroev, acting in his capacity as a regional government official, instructed Agrobank officials to channel preferential credit funds exclusively to a specific company and to expedite the loan approval process.

Following protests filed by the district prosecutor and appeals lodged by the defendants, the case was reviewed by the Tashkent City Court of Appeal. On 26 December 2025, the judicial panel revised parts of the original verdict relating to 24 of the defendants.

In Hamroev’s case, the appellate court replaced the seven-year prison sentence with a 2.5-year term of corrective labor, requiring 20 percent of his wages to be deducted in favor of the state. The court ruled that the financial damage caused by the crime had been fully compensated.

The time Hamroev spent in pretrial detention – from 12 October 2024 to 26 December 2025 – was recalculated, with each day of detention counted as three days of corrective labor. As a result, the sentence was deemed fully served, the preventive measure of detention was lifted, and Hamroev was released immediately in the courtroom.

The court noted that under Article 167, Part 5 of the Criminal Code, imprisonment or restriction of liberty is not applied if the material damage has been compensated in full. However, the additional punishment banning Hamroev from holding certain positions remains in force.

Hamroev had served as deputy governor of Andijan region from 2019 until his arrest.