Uzbekistan Supreme Court Rehabilitates 161 Repression Victims

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Supreme Court of Uzbekistan on 6 May 2026, held open hearings and issued a decision to acquit 161 citizens who were convicted between 1920 and 1934 on charges related to participation in movements against Soviet власти.

The ruling is part of a broader national process of rehabilitating victims of political repression carried out under an order signed by the President on October 8, 2020, aimed at studying historical heritage and preserving the memory of those affected. As part of this effort, a republican interagency group was established, and researchers were granted expanded access to archival materials held by state institutions.

According to the Supreme Court, 1,236 individuals who were subjected to political persecution during the Soviet period have been rehabilitated in Uzbekistan in recent years. The latest decision concerns cases involving individuals convicted by special bodies and so-called “troikas” operating under plenipotentiary representations of the OGPU in Central Asia and Kazakhstan.

Case materials showed that the defendants were accused of supporting insurgent movements, forming armed groups, organizing anti-Soviet activities, and other counter-revolutionary actions. In total, the court reviewed eight criminal cases and concluded that acquittal was necessary under Article 83 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Uzbekistan.

The May 6 decision continues earlier rehabilitation efforts. Exactly two years earlier, in May 2024, the court acquitted 198 individuals convicted between 1930 and 1938 on similar charges.