Uzbek news outlet Kun.uz has published a shocking story of physical and psychological abuse suffered by Gulirano Kosimova, a 34-year-old school principal from the Furqat district of the Fergana region.| Uzbek Forum for Human Rights
Uzbekistan should reinforce reforms to address structural issues that contribute to ongoing forced labor risks in cotton production, the Cotton Campaign said. Such measures would ensure the emerging…| Uzbek Forum for Human Rights
Azizjon Tojiboev and Gairatjon Khairullaev, successful and hardworking farmers from Rishton district of Fergana region, became victims of senseless and illegal arbitrary violence at the hands of local police officers. “I’ll kill you” On July 7, 2025, four police officers, including one in civilian clothing, came to the home of farmer Gairatjon Khairullaev and ordered […]| Uzbek Forum for Human Rights
Valijon Kalonov, a 55-year-old Uzbek blogger and social media activist, is currently being held in forced psychiatric detention in Samarkand. An opinion issued by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) in February 2025 concluded that his detention is arbitrary and a grave violation of international human rights standards, recommending his immediate release and […]| Uzbek Forum for Human Rights
The case of Dildora Khakimova exposes the cruelty and fundamental flaws within Uzbekistan’s justice system, demonstrating a blatant disregard for its own laws and international human rights commitments. We demand immediate action! Who is Dildora Khakimova? Dildora, a 41-year-old teacher and blogger from Kashkadarya region, is a tireless human rights and social justice activist. She […]| Uzbek Forum for Human Rights
Dilfuza Toshmatova, deputy hokim of Sariosiyo district of Surkhandarya region, became the first casualty of this year’s cotton harvest in Uzbekistan, which has faced a shortage of pickers for the past three years. On September 8, the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction announced that deputy hokim Toshmatova had been held administratively liable for “coercion […]| Uzbek Forum for Human Rights
A local official in Uzbekistan was caught coercing mahalla employees to recruit cotton pickers, raising concerns about forced labor in the 2024 harvest season.| Uzbek Forum for Human Rights
(Berlin, December 15, 2023) – A court in Nukus, Uzbekistan will consider an appeal on December 19, 2023, from a farmers’ cooperative that was closed in November under a court order…| Uzbek Forum for Human Rights
“Прежде чем начать это интервью, я хочу сказать, что если завтра меня не будет в живых, если завтра меня арестуют или если я исчезну, то ответственность за это будет лежать на хокиме Шахрисабзского района Самаде Хасанове. Он виноват в моем бедственном положении. Если я зав...| Uzbek Forum for Human Rights
“Before I begin this interview, I want to say that if I am alive tomorrow, or if I am arrested tomorrow, or if I disappear, the responsibility for this will lie with the hokim of Shakhrisabz district, Samad Khasanov. He is to blame for my despair. If I die tomorrow, I would like the truth […]| Uzbek Forum for Human Rights
Насилие со стороны милиции в Узбекистане: два случая, мало ответов Подкрепленные доказательствами обвинения в Кашкадарье и Намангане свидетельствуют о постоянном злоупотреблении властью и безнаказанности должностных лиц. Эта статья основана на видеорепортаже Озодли...| Uzbek Forum for Human Rights
Evidence-backed allegations in Kashkadarya and Namangan highlight persistent abuse of power and impunity of officials. This article is based on a video report by Ozodlik documenting two recent cases of violence by police and officials. Victim testimony and medical records point to serious injuries allegedly inflicted by police officers. Kashkadarya: “I begged him to let […]| Uzbek Forum for Human Rights
Chairman of the Hosildor Oltintola cooperative, Abdurasul Haitov © Kun.uzUzbekistan’s cotton sector, long associated with state control and forced labor, is now facing a different but equally destructive crisis. Despite promises of reform and privatization, private cotton clusters – the powerful companies that dominate cotton production – have accumulated huge debts to farmers dating back to the 2023–2024 harvests. These unpaid debts, acknowledged by the chairman of the Tax Committee...| Uzbek Forum for Human Rights
In most countries, the courtroom is a place where truth is uncovered and justice is served. In Uzbekistan, according to veteran criminal defense lawyer, Sergei Mayorov, it is a place where justice is merely performative and masks its very absence —verdicts are often written long before the trial even begins.| Uzbek Forum for Human Rights
Farmers in Bagdad district of Fergana region told journalist Sharifa Madrahimova that the district hokim is forcing them to deliver more grain to the state than is specified in their contracts.| Uzbek Forum for Human Rights
Farmer Barno Davlatova from the Syrdarya district, Syrdarya region, has accused local authorities of unlawfully confiscating her surplus wheat, which was in excess of her contractual obligations with the state enterprise Oqoltin Don.| Uzbek Forum for Human Rights
In January 2024, in the most recent and serious case, an independent rights monitor working on the Indorama Agro project was threatened by government security officials. The monitor was told that their work was “dangerous” and that they would face criminal charges if they did not immediately stop speaking to Indorama workers.| Uzbek Forum for Human Rights
This report aims to shed light on the situation for bloggers and journalists in Uzbekistan which, in spite of ongoing reforms in the country since 2016, remains concerning. When President Shavkat Mirziyoyev came to power in 2016, the overall human rights situation in the country appeared to be improving. During this period, the government released some political prisoners, adopted legislative amendments regarding people’s political participation and judicial independence, took measures to e...| Uzbek Forum for Human Rights