Uzbekistan Supreme Court rehabilitates 161 people convicted in Soviet-era cases

Uzbekistan’s Supreme Court has rehabilitated another 161 citizens who were prosecuted between 1920 and 1934 on charges linked to anti-Soviet activities, according to the court’s press service.

The decision forms part of broader efforts launched under President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s October 2020 decree aimed at further studying the legacy of repression victims and preserving their historical memory.

A republican working group was established under the initiative, alongside a national roadmap focused on restoring the names of repression victims and expanding archival research. Authorities subsequently broadened access to archival materials held by ministries and government agencies for specialists involved in the process.

The Supreme Court also formed a separate working group tasked with reviewing cases of repression victims who had not previously been rehabilitated for various reasons.

According to the court, the latest cases involved individuals convicted under decisions issued between 1920 and 1934 by Soviet-era bodies including the Fergana Special Department attached to the Military Council of the Turkestan Front’s Fergana troop group and the “Troika” council under the Joint State Political Directorate for Central Asia and Kazakhstan.

The individuals had been accused of providing material support to armed resistance movements, forming armed groups, participating in uprisings against Soviet authorities and engaging in counterrevolutionary activities.

Following a review by the working group, open court hearings were held on May 6, 2026. Based on Article 83 of Uzbekistan’s Criminal Procedure Code, acquittal verdicts were issued for 161 individuals across eight criminal cases.

The Supreme Court stated that consistent rehabilitation efforts in recent years have already resulted in the acquittal and rehabilitation of 1,236 citizens subjected to Soviet-era repression.

On May 6, 2024, the Supreme Court rehabilitated 198 individuals who had been unjustly prosecuted between 1930 and 1938. The rulings were issued after cassation protests submitted by the Deputy Prosecutor General were reviewed and approved during open court hearings chaired by Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Court Ikrom Muslimov (Ikram Muslimov).