The key facts

  • On October 7, 2026, a court in Chirchiq sentenced two internal affairs officers to 6 years of imprisonment for bribery and concealment of a crime
  • The incident began with the beating of citizen Sh. M. on February 17, 2026, at a café in Chirchiq by a group including 'Islam Bukharsky'
  • Both officers did not admit guilt; an appeal is possible within 10 days

Conflict at a café

According to the verdict materials, at around 19:00 on February 17, 2026, citizen Sh. M. came with an acquaintance to one of the cafés in Chirchiq. In the hall was a drunk woman who quarreled with visitors one after another and pushed the administrator. Sh. M. separated them. The woman said that 'my son Umid and Islam Bukharsky will come now' and left. According to Sh. M.'s testimony in court, about 20 minutes later a certain Umid pressed him against a staircase and threatened to throw him down. Then, outside, Sh. M. was met by 'Islam Bukharsky,' about ten young men, and patrol officers; Umid punched him in the jaw, after which Sh. M. fell and washed off the blood in the café.

Beating and pursuit

When Sh. M. was about to leave, a white Gentra without license plates stopped nearby. The man who got out introduced himself as Islam and left his phone number. Then four or five more people tried to force him into a cream-colored Epica in the parking lot; Sh. M. ran away and was chased for about a kilometer. According to his testimony, when he stopped from exhaustion, Kurbonali, nicknamed 'Gera,' punched him, and the others kicked him; Sh. M. lost consciousness. Coming to on the lap of an unfamiliar woman who had called an ambulance, he was taken to the central hospital of Chirchiq, where doctors found a laceration in the jaw area; he refused to have stitches.

Attempt to close the case and money

On February 18, Sh. M. came to the internal affairs department to file a complaint. Prevention inspector Dilshod Rahimbaev called him into an office where 'Islam Bukharsky' was present, who suggested not filing the complaint and compensating the damage instead. According to Sh. M., Rahimbaev stated there was no corpus delicti and suggested taking money. That same day, one of the participants in the beating handed Rahimbaev $2,700, but the amount never reached the victim. On the night of February 19, Rahimbaev summoned Sh. M. again; inspector Nodir Agabekov was also present in the office in uniform. According to Sh. M., Rahimbaev handed him $2,000, of which he gave $100 to Agabekov; then Rahimbaev demanded $900, and later another $100, citing a transfer 'to superiors'; Sh. M. refused. On February 19, the victim wrote a statement of no claims; on February 28, the case was refused to be opened, but on March 5 the Investigation Department under the Ministry of Internal Affairs began an investigation.

Detention and trial

During the investigation, relatives of the participants in the beating demanded the return of the $2,700; Sh. M., without revealing, according to him, that most of the money remained with the internal affairs officers, said he had spent the money himself. On April 20, he turned to the State Security Service department for Tashkent Region; during an operation, the inspectors were detained while handing Sh. M. $300. In court, both officers did not admit guilt. Agabekov claimed he knew nothing about the monetary settlements, saw Sh. M. for the first time over his complaint, and merely suggested the parties settle on their own. The court found the guilt confirmed by witness testimony, phone conversations, and other evidence.

Verdict

Rahimbaev and Agabekov were found guilty under subparagraphs 'v' and 'g' of part 2 of Article 210 of the Criminal Code (taking a bribe through extortion, by prior conspiracy by a group of officials), subparagraphs 'a' and 'b' of part 2 of Article 230-1 of the Criminal Code (falsification of evidence by a group of persons by prior conspiracy), and part 2 of Article 241-1 of the Criminal Code (intentional concealment of a crime from registration). By partial accumulation of sentences, the court sentenced both to 6 years of imprisonment with a 3-year ban on working in the internal affairs system. Agabekov's term of serving the sentence is counted from June 22, and Rahimbaev's from April 24, 2026. An appeal or protest is possible within 10 days of the verdict being announced. Earlier, in April, the detention of 'Islam Bukharsky' and a group of persons was reported, and in May — the detention of an inspector.