An investor from Namangan being tortured in DIA detention center; his lawyer denies Interior Ministry’s claim

Nurullo Tulaganov, the lawyer of Dilshod Turakhodjayev, said that his client was brutally beaten in the investigation department and published photos showing his injuries.

Dilshod Turakhodjayev is an investor who built a recreation complex called “Aparat Hotel Kosmos” in the village of Chodak, Pop district of Namangan. He is suspected of committing a crime under Article 164 (Invasion) of the Criminal Code. The investigation alleges that he is a member of an organized criminal group.

Turakhodjayev’s relatives appealed to the “Ezgulik” human rights society of Uzbekistan and claimed that he was brutally tortured, his mouth and hands were tied with plastic tape, and brutally beaten on April 12-15 at the investigative department of the Tashkent city DIA. Human rights activist Abdurakhmon Tashanov wrote about this on his Facebook page.

“After the investigation, interviews with lawyers and witnesses, it became clear that Dilshodjon Turakhodjayev was indeed tortured by plainclothesmen, “death angels” in black special uniforms, and investigators in order to obtain mandatory testimony,” the report of “Ezgulik" society reads.

The MIA press secretary, Shohrukh Giyasov, responded to the incident and said that 10 suspects were arrested in connection with this crime, and that they are suspected of committing serious crimes.

Also, in the MIA statement, it was said that a large organized criminal group extorted businessmen and kept them under fear, they were previously convicted several times of serious crimes and because they were extremely aggressive, they were arrested with the help of special forces.

“There are now reports that social media is being used to create mistrust and unhealthy hype about law enforcement by promoting pre-existing injuries through third parties. Investigations are being carried out by the prosecutor’s office in connection with each case,” the MIA officially stated.

Speaking about the details of his client’s detention, lawyer Nurullo Tulaganov said that his client’s procedural rights were violated.

“After entering the DIA building, you have the right to call home once. But this demand was not fulfilled. On April 15, his family found out that he had been taken to Tashkent, after which I was hired on the basis of a contract. When I found the investigator and talked to him, he didn’t let me see him either, he said you can talk to him in court,” Tulaganov said.

When Tulaganov met his client in court, he saw injuries on the businessman’s body and took a picture of them.

“Fortunately, I took a picture. Torture ended 1 day after this incident. Then we filed an appeal to the city court, and a preventive measure of imprisonment was chosen against the person under my protection. I explained to the judge that he is a businessman; in addition, he is a citizen of Russia, but in the prosecutor’s petition, he is mentioned as a citizen of Uzbekistan,” the lawyer said.

Nurullo Tulaganov said that he presented the photographs of the injuries sustained by the person under his protection during the investigation to the judges, the investigator and the Tashkent city prosecutor. But he expressed concern that the inspection work is going too slowly. Allegedly, the authorities have not contacted Turakhodjayev about his injuries.

After the photos of the injured businessman were spread, on May 6, the human rights representative of Oliy Majlis went to the investigative detention center No. 1 in the Zangiota district of Tashkent region and met with Dilshod Turakhodjayev. During the interview, the businessman confirmed that mental and physical pressure was applied against him in the Pop district DIA and later in the Tashkent city DIA.

The Ombudsman has submitted a control letter to the PGO to ensure comprehensive, complete and legal investigation of Turakhodjayev’s torture.

Kun.uz contacted the head of the MIA press service, Shokhrukh Giyasov, to get a reaction to the lawyer’s video report.

“This situation, including the arguments of the parties, will be studied by the prosecutor’s office and a legal assessment will be made. This was stated in the official statement of the Ministry of Internal Affairs,” the ministerial official said shortly.

There is another point here. Dilshod Turakhodjayev, who is suspected of invasion, lived in Russia in 2000-2020 and was engaged in business there. In a television interview, he said that he believed in the reforms of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and returned to Uzbekistan in 2020. Tolib Yusupov, who was the first deputy governor of Namangan region at that time, also said this in an interview with Kun.uz in 2020.

“Dilshod Turakhodjayev, who lived in the village of Chodak in the Pop district, is a businessman who received citizenship of the Russian Federation in 2000-2020. He is building “Apart Hotel Kosmos” holiday resort – a tourism facility providing hotel-camping services in the territory of “Chodak” mahalla with a total of $400,000 and 4 billion soums as a loan, measures are being taken to create 50 jobs,” the deputy governor of the region said.

Apart Hotel Kosmos, which is being built in Chodak village of Namangan, has a total cost of more than $2 million. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev also noticed this initiative.

“A modern recreation complex was built by a businessman for 25 billion soums on a 2-hectare mountain area in the village of Chodak, Pop district. Due to this, 15,000-20,000 tourists come here every month,” Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who showed Turakhodjayev as an example to others at the videoconference meeting, said.

The PGO press secretary, Khayot Shamsutdinov, informed that based on the application filed by the businessman’s lawyer regarding the case of physical harassment against Turakhodjayev, the Mirabad district prosecutor’s office is conducting a pre-investigation check.

During the investigation, the businessman’s injuries and all his circumstances will be comprehensively and objectively investigated, and a legal assessment will be made based on the collected evidence, the PGO official concluded.