President Mirziyoyev pledges to restore names of more victims of Soviet-era repression

Mirziyoyev said efforts were also underway to restore historical justice for those affected during that period and stressed that the work would continue.

Over the past five years, Uzbekistan has regularly held academic and practical conferences dedicated to studying the legacy of the Jadids. Researchers have also continued identifying people who were unjustly persecuted under the Soviet system and studying their work and intellectual and creative heritage, with information about hundreds and thousands of such figures being made available to the public through books and the media.

The president said the growing number of armed conflicts and political confrontations around the world, including in regions close to Uzbekistan, made it all the more important to value peace and preserve unity.

“Our path is the path of peace, friendship and cooperation. Uzbekistan will never turn away from this path,” he said.

Mirziyoyev noted that Uzbek citizens can now travel freely to countries around the world and that Uzbekistan is building relations with other states on the basis of equality. He described this as a practical expression of the country’s complete break from its colonial past and the legacy of “cotton slavery”.

The president also highlighted reforms in education and efforts to raise young people with a strong sense of patriotism. Over the past decade, the number of higher education institutions in Uzbekistan has risen from 77 to 205, while admission quotas have increased. More than 3,500 Uzbek students are currently studying at universities ranked among the world’s top 100, he said.

“We must pay special attention to educating young people on the basis of national pride,” Mirziyoyev said. “National pride is a powerful force that fills a person’s heart, soul and entire being with strength and determination. A person with national pride will never be defeated.”

He also pointed to the establishment of the Center for Islamic Civilization in Tashkent, the reconstruction of the Imam Bukhari complex in Samarkand and the opening of the Burhaniddin Marginani Center in Margilan as examples of Uzbekistan’s commitment to a path based on peace, friendship, development, knowledge and enlightenment.

Mirziyoyev said reforms in the religious and educational sphere over the past decade had enabled more than 100,000 Uzbeks to perform the Hajj. He expressed confidence that the country’s religious community would continue to play an active role in strengthening compassion and social cohesion and in educating younger generations.

The president concluded by paying tribute to the ancestors who had dreamed of an independent and prosperous Uzbekistan and offered prayers for continued peace, progress and prosperity in the country.

Religious scholars also offered prayers for the victims of repression and those who gave their lives for the country’s freedom, wishing for lasting peace and stability in Uzbekistan.