Three former judges accused of issuing unfair verdict in Akmal Shukurov case released on bail

According to the legal counsel, an appellate court overturned a lower court's decision to extend the detention of the former judges by five months. The appellate court issued a ruling rejecting the extension of their time in custody, leading the investigative body to change their restrictive measure from detention to bail.

While these three individuals have been released, Murodjon Mirzajonov, the former deputy chairman of the Tashkent City Court and chairman of the judicial panel for criminal cases, remains in detention as his period of custody was extended.

Odilbek Ilhomjonov, Mirziyod Abidov, and Muhtarama Turgunova stand accused of delivering an unfair verdict. Murodjon Mirzajonov faces more extensive charges, including issuing an unfair verdict, decision, or ruling, as well as illegal interference in investigative or judicial proceedings. The investigation into these matters is ongoing.

According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, the former judges initially reviewed the case of Akmal Shukurov on appeal and concluded that the first-instance court's sentence should be modified to three years of imprisonment under Article 57 of the Criminal Code. However, the prosecution alleges that Murodjon Mirzajonov exerted unlawful influence over the judges, resulting in the sentence being commuted to a restriction of liberty, after which Shukurov was released from the courtroom. Following this incident, a criminal case was initiated against the judges, leading to their arrest.

The Akmal Shukurov case

The criminal case against Akmal Shukurov involves five separate episodes. The most high–profile incident occurred in September 2025 in front of "The Tower" hotel in the Yakkasaray district. During a confrontation outside a nightclub, Shukurov struck Boris Avakyan, who was attempting to defend an acquaintance, causing him to fall into a coma. Shukurov fled the scene but was later apprehended in Kazakhstan and extradited to Uzbekistan.

The victim suffered life-threatening head injuries and underwent an emergency craniotomy before being placed in a medically induced coma.

On October 24, 2025, the Mirzo Ulugbek District Criminal Court found Akmal Shukurov guilty of intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm, fraud, and hooliganism, sentencing him to 8 years and 1 month in prison. However, on December 9, the Tashkent City Court’s appellate panel commuted this to 4 years and 1 month of restricted liberty and released him immediately.

Following significant media coverage and a protest filed by the Tashkent City Prosecutor’s Office, the case was reviewed by an inspection instance on December 18. The court subsequently sentenced Shukurov to 6 years of imprisonment and returned him to custody. Shortly after, a service investigation was launched into the appellate judges, eventually leading to their dismissal and prosecution.