Blogger Otabek Sattoriy released from prison

Blogger Otabek Sattoriy has had his sentence relating to imprisonment changed to a lighter punishment, the press service of the Kashkadarya regional court reported.

As noted, on February 5, 2024, the Karshi district court considered and approved a petition submitted by Otabek Sattoriy, who was found guilty of committing crimes under Article 139, Part 3, Paragraphs "a", "g" (libel) and Article 165, Part 3, Paragraph "a" (fraud) of the Criminal Code.

As per the court's ruling, Otabek Sattoriy's remaining sentence of 2 years 11 months 25 days, due on February 5, 2024, has been replaced with correctional labor according to Part 3, Paragraph "v" of the Criminal Code's Article 74 (substitution of the sentence with a lighter one), with 20 percent of his salary to be deducted for the benefit of the state treasury.

For information, Otabek Sattoriy was arrested during a mobile operation event on January 29, 2021, and was sentenced by the Muzrabot district criminal court on May 10, 2021, for libel and fraud, to six and a half years of deprivation of liberty.

His appeal and the petition for relocation filed by his attorney were reviewed by the appellate panel of the Samarkand regional court. The appellate court ordered the return of two apartments purchased by Sattoriy in Termez, but the duration of his imprisonment remained unchanged.

The Supreme Court's criminal panel, on February 2, 2024, amended the decisions of the Muzrabot district court from May 10, 2021, the appellate panel of the Samarkand regional court from July 15, 2021, and the cassation panel of the Supreme Court from April 5, 2022, subsequently reducing Otabek Sattoriy’s sentence to six years.