Uzbek citizen who served 16 years over the murder of a taxi driver released in South Korea: court to review the case

The Changwon District Court suspended the execution of the life sentence of Bozorov Akmal, convicted in 2010 for the murder of a taxi driver, and accepted the case for review. The court found serious violations during the investigation: deception by police, absence of an interpreter and, according to the defense, a falsified report. A final decision on the case has not yet been made.

tafs uz editorial deskFirst published on tafs uz 17 October 2026 at 21:232 min readAI translation

The key facts

Bozorov Akmal was released after more than 16 years of imprisonment; the Changwon court suspended the execution of the sentence pending the review of the case
The court identified violations in the investigation: deception about DNA, showing the deceased as alive, absence of an interpreter
The defense presented new evidence, including an allegedly falsified police report and a 6 km discrepancy in the taxi route

Release after 16 years of imprisonment

Uzbek citizen Bozorov Akmal, sentenced in South Korea to life imprisonment on charges of murdering a taxi driver, has been released after more than 16 years. His father met him at the prison gates. The Changwon District Court decided to review the case and suspended the execution of the punishment until the judicial process is completed.

Circumstances of the case

Akmal, 37, was accused of murdering a taxi driver in Changwon in March 2009. During the initial investigation he confessed, but later stated that his testimony had been obtained through police violence and unlawful investigative methods. He admitted involvement in the robbery of another taxi, but denied any part in the driver's murder. Despite this, he was convicted in the murder case, and in April 2010 the Supreme Court of South Korea upheld the life imprisonment.

Petitions for review

The first petition to review the case was rejected in 2015. On January 2, 2025, lawyer Park Jun Yong filed a new petition with the court.

Violations during the investigation

The court found that serious violations of the law had occurred during the investigation. The police deceived Akmal, claiming that his DNA had been found at the crime scene, and, showing the deceased victim as if alive, tried to obtain a confession. In addition, Akmal, who had a poor command of Korean, was not provided with an interpreter.

New evidence from the defense

The defense presented new evidence, including a police report about the store where the murder weapon was sold, which, it is claimed, was falsified. The lawyer also pointed to a six-kilometer difference between the distance recorded by the taxi meter and the route established by the police. The court stated that the unlawful investigation is sufficient grounds for review; the new evidence will be evaluated during the new proceedings.

Akmal's position and status of the case

Akmal said that he had felt unjustly imprisoned and had suffered greatly. At the same time, he expressed regret over the possible suffering of the victim's family and promised to tell the truth during the judicial process. A final decision on the case has not yet been made.