Hidden victims of the Angren traffic accident, a murderous mother, and a sex-obsessed official – Shocking events of the week

Three years ago in Tashkent, a woman deliberately threw her daughter into a bear cage at the zoo. Now, the same woman has stabbed and killed the girl. This incident is undoubtedly not only one of the most horrifying events of the past week but also one of the darkest episodes in human history.

The girl, killed by her 34-year-old mother, was only seven years old and had just stepped onto the threshold of school life.

On September 8 this year, the Sergeli district prosecutor’s office opened a criminal case under Article 97, Part 1 (Intentional Murder) of the Criminal Code. The suspect was detained under Article 221 of the Criminal Procedure Code (Grounds for Detention).

It was reported that the woman had been registered at a psychoneurological dispensary since 2022 and was undergoing treatment there. On August 2, she was allowed to continue treatment at home. The woman also had a son.

On January 28, 2022, she threw her daughter into the bear enclosure at the Tashkent Zoo. On that occasion, the bear did not harm the child, and zoo staff managed to lead the animal back inside. A criminal case was initiated against the woman under Articles 25 and 97, Part 2, Paragraph “v” (Attempted Murder under Aggravating Circumstances) of the Criminal Code. At that time as well, she was registered at a psychiatric dispensary. In April of the same year, she was found guilty of attempted murder under aggravating circumstances and was sent for compulsory treatment at a psychiatric hospital.

The girl’s death has caused a storm of reaction on social media. Activists, setting aside other pressing issues, discussed the child’s death, its causes, society’s indifference, and the failure to take timely measures. Criticism is growing that children’s rights in Uzbekistan remain more a matter of rhetoric than reality, that such rights do not exist in family or social life, and that the issue is often approached only for reporting purposes.

Government commission formed over Angren’s deadly traffic accident

On September 7, a horrific traffic accident occurred on the A-373 “Tashkent–Osh” international highway passing through Angren city in Tashkent region, involving multiple vehicles. According to the Main Department of Road Traffic Safety, seven people were killed. However, other reports claim the death toll exceeded ten. Figures obtained by QALAMPIR.UZ suggest 11 victims, but neither the Ministry of Internal Affairs nor the Road Traffic Safety Department has provided conclusive information refuting or confirming these numbers.

According to reports, a Shacman cement truck driven by a man born in 1981 lost control and collided at a railway crossing with two stationary trucks and five cars. The crash sparked a fire, which emergency services quickly extinguished.

A decree signed on September 9 by Fergana region governor Khayrullo Bozorov confirmed that 11 people were killed in the accident, while six others were injured and hospitalized.

The decree instructed deputy governors and relevant organizations to identify the victims, provide medical, financial, psychological, and other support to their families and to those injured, and to ensure all necessary measures were taken for the funerals. It was noted that the injured were receiving medical treatment at the Angren City Medical Association.

To prevent similar incidents in the future, the causes of the accident will be investigated, the road infrastructure reviewed, and improvements made drawing on international best practices. Proposals will also be prepared to revise cargo transportation regulations. This raises the question: whom should the public trust—the Interior Ministry’s report or Governor Bozorov’s decree?

To examine the situation thoroughly, a government commission led by Deputy Prime Minister Ochilboy Ramatov and composed of specialists from relevant state bodies has been established.

A criminal case has been opened under Article 266, Part 3 (Violation of Traffic Safety Rules by Drivers of Vehicles) of the Criminal Code, and investigative procedures are under way.

As for the government commission, it should be noted that after previous tragedies—accidents, emergencies, and disasters resulting in deaths—similar commissions were also formed, often chaired by Ochilboy Ramatov. For example, recall the explosion on March 31 this year in the ablution facility of the “Ahmadali Hoji” mosque in the “Mirzo Ulugbek” mahalla of Andijan. Three people died and 10 were injured. The Andijan regional prosecutor’s office opened a criminal case under Articles 205 (Abuse of Power or Office) and 259 (Violation of Fire Safety Rules) of the Criminal Code. Yet more than five months later, there has been no report from the government commission, nor any update on the investigation or whether the case has been referred to court. The matter remains sealed behind closed doors.

An explosion occurred at a military training ground

On September 10, an explosion took place at the Nukus military field training ground in the Republic of Karakalpakstan.

A practical training exercise had been organized at the Nukus field training ground. During the exercise, a detonation cord of a special explosive device accidentally ignited, causing a minor explosion. As a result, around 10 servicemen sustained injuries of varying degrees. They were provided with first aid on the spot.

According to the National Guard, the health of the servicemen is now being restored thanks to timely medical measures. An internal service inquiry has been launched, and the matter is currently being investigated by responsible officials.

School education to shift to 12 years

Uzbekistan is expected to transition to a 12-year school education system. This initiative was approved by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on September 8 after he reviewed a presentation on reforms in the education sector.

Two days after Deputy Minister of Preschool and School Education Sardor Rajabov announced the information in an interview, he was appointed First Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation.

Rajabov’s remarks carry weight: the number of international schools in Uzbekistan has increased significantly. In schools operating under the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, children are admitted from the age of six, while in state schools, admission starts at seven. For example, if your child is studying in the 3rd grade of an IB school and you decide to transfer them to a state school, they would be placed in the 2nd grade. This means the child would lose a full year of education. Moving to a 12-year system does not mean a return to the old model of 9 years at school followed by 3 years at vocational colleges or lyceums. Instead, it implies that schooling will begin one year earlier. In other words, preparatory or “zero” classes are now becoming legally recognized.

Another important development is that branches of specialized schools will be established in the regions: Al-Khwarizmi schools for information technology, Mirzo Ulugbek schools for engineering, and Ibn Sina schools for natural sciences. Each will be affiliated with local technical universities, and successful graduates will be admitted directly into the second year of these higher education institutions.

In addition, Uzbekistan is reviewing the procedure for university entrance examinations.

At present, school graduates first take state graduation exams and then separate entrance tests for higher education institutions. Under the new system, these two exams are expected to be combined into a single unified exam with the use of artificial intelligence elements. The exam will be conducted online, and the results will simultaneously serve as both school graduation grades and university entrance scores.

It should be noted that this new system resembles Russia’s Unified State Exam. Moreover, the idea of introducing such a system in Uzbekistan is not being discussed for the first time.

A ministry official “crossed the line”

At a time when there has been a string of positive news about school education, one ministry official has found himself in disgrace.

An audio recording has circulated on social media in which an official from the Ministry of Preschool and School Education can be heard offering women help in obtaining a management certificate and securing a school principal’s position in exchange for sexual relations. Ministry spokesperson Dilfuza Sobirova commented on the incident, confirming that the voice in the audio indeed belonged to a ministry employee.

It was reported that the official involved in the incident has been dismissed from his post. We were able to establish his identity, the position he held at the ministry, his professional background, and the fact that he had once served as a school principal. We even obtained his photograph. We contacted his family members and acquaintances, and came across statements from his former spouse. However, in order not to further tarnish his reputation—already disgraced in front of his colleagues—we decided not to disclose his identity. We hope that both he and others will draw the right conclusions from this case.

In fact, lessons could have already been learned from an incident in July this year in Samarkand region, when an official of the Department for Poverty Reduction and Employment was caught on video during a Zoom meeting. Forgetting to turn off his camera, he was seen embracing a female colleague and pulling her onto his lap.

Uzbek workers granted the right to strike

Employees in Uzbekistan are to be granted the legal right to go on strike. This was discussed on September 9 during a session of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis, within the framework of a Senate legislative proposal titled “On introducing amendments and additions to certain laws of the Republic of Uzbekistan in connection with strengthening guarantees of citizens’ labor rights.”

The proposal envisages the legal regulation of the right to strike. The Labor Code is to be amended with a clear definition of a strike and its related concepts, the procedures for organizing and holding a strike, as well as the guarantees granted to employees during strike actions. It also sets out the procedures for postponing, suspending, resuming, and terminating strikes, as well as the restrictions that may apply.

Under the current Labor Code of Uzbekistan, employees do not have the right to strike. In practice, even though labor regulations are frequently violated—whether through forced labor, excessive working hours without overtime pay, delayed salaries, or poor occupational safety—workers have continued to toil in silence. Trade unions, meanwhile, have remained preoccupied with organizing concerts and ceremonial events.

So, what violations of labor rights have you encountered in your workplace? Share them with us.

MFA denies transfer of helicopters to the Taliban

The Taliban’s interim government in Afghanistan has requested that official Tashkent return the helicopters that crossed into Uzbekistan when the Ashraf Ghani administration collapsed. On September 10, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told local media that Uzbekistan had agreed to return the military helicopters taken out of Afghanistan in August 2021.

According to Mujahid, the fate of the helicopters has been the subject of ongoing discussions between Kabul and Tashkent. He said the Taliban has consistently demanded the return of military aircraft as part of its efforts to recover national assets. The Taliban official previously stated that the handover of 57 military helicopters was expected soon.

However, it became clear that Mujahid’s statement to the media had not been coordinated with Tashkent. Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied that helicopters would be transferred to the Taliban. MFA spokesman Akhror Burkhanov said the reports “do not correspond to reality.”

Following Tashkent’s official rejection, Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, again called for the return of the helicopters that were flown to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan after the previous government was ousted.

“We ask the countries that received some of our helicopters after the political changes four years ago to return them to the Afghan people. They will be used for humanitarian operations,” he said.

The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed that after the fall of the Afghan government to the Taliban in August 2021, 46 aircraft and helicopters were flown to Uzbekistan and another 18 to Tajikistan. The Taliban has repeatedly demanded their return from both countries, but officials in Tashkent and Dushanbe have not given a public response.

The U.S. ambassador to Uzbekistan earlier stated that under a new agreement, the 46 aircraft that landed in Uzbekistan would remain under the control of that country. Meanwhile, the U.S. mission on Afghanistan, headquartered in Doha, expressed gratitude to Tajikistan for not transferring former Afghan military aircraft to the Taliban.

According to a former Afghan security commander, before the Taliban’s takeover, the United States had supplied the Afghan Air Force with a total of 229 helicopters, both combat and transport.