Swiss court drops corruption case against Gulnara Karimova

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Swiss Federal Criminal Court has discontinued proceedings in a corruption and money laundering case against Gulnara Karimova, according to TASS, citing Swiss broadcaster SRF.

The decision is linked to the fact that Karimova is reportedly prohibited from leaving Uzbekistan, while the statute of limitations for the charges under consideration in Switzerland has expired. The court hearing at which the ruling was announced took place on Tuesday morning.

The presiding judge noted that the defendant’s inability to participate in the proceedings was due to existing restrictions preventing her from leaving the country until procedural deadlines expire.

Karimova’s lawyer had previously stated that Uzbek authorities do not allow her to travel to Switzerland to take part in court hearings.

SRF emphasized that the termination of the case does not constitute a finding of innocence or release from potential liability. The decision is procedural in nature and is solely related to the expiration of statutory time limits.

It is also noted that Gulnara Karimova has been in custody in Uzbekistan since 2014 and is serving a sentence in a correctional facility.

According to current information, her release is not expected before 2028.

The report states that her current period of imprisonment exceeds any possible sentence that could have been imposed in Switzerland in this case.