“Salimboyvachcha” makes first public appearance since prison release (video)

Salim Abduvaliyev, popularly known as "Salimboyvachcha," has made his first public appearance since being released from prison on January 12 of this year due to health issues. A video has surfaced showing him attending an event at the "Yakkasaroy" wedding hall in Tashkent on July 27. In the footage, which leaked on social media, Abduvaliyev is seen alongside Muhiddin Asomutdinov, the former owner of Alp Jamol Bank.

The video of Abduvaliyev entering the wedding venue has sparked widespread discussion online. Notably, he does not appear to be in the fragile condition that had led to his early release from prison. The specific nature of the event he attended remains unknown.

As background, Abduvaliyev was detained by law enforcement officers at his home in the Fayzabad district of Tashkent on December 1, 2023, during Uzbekistan’s “40 Days of Urgent Action” campaign. He was later convicted under Part 2 of Article 248 of the Criminal Code—illegal trafficking of firearms, ammunition, explosive materials, or devices—and sentenced to six years in a general regime colony. However, due to illness, he was released from prison on January 12, 2025, in accordance with Article 75 of the Criminal Code, which allows for release on the grounds of serious illness or mental incapacity that prevents an individual from serving their sentence.

According to the law, “A person who, after the sentence is pronounced, develops a mental disorder that prevents them from understanding or controlling their actions, or suffers from a serious illness that prevents the serving of the sentence, shall be released.” The video, however, raises questions about whether Abduvaliyev’s condition meets this legal threshold.

It is also important to note that in August 2024, Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security opened a criminal case against Abduvaliyev. The Oktyabr District Court of Bishkek ordered a preventive detention in absentia and placed him on both the Interstate and Interpol wanted lists.

Just days before Abduvaliyev’s appearance in Tashkent, Kyrgyz media reported on July 24 that Jalil Atambayev, a former Ministry of Internal Affairs officer, had been arrested in connection with him. Atambayev had first been detained in August 2024 on suspicion of collaborating with Abduvaliyev and financing an Uzbek organized crime group to expand his business operations. He was later released under a preventive measure in December 2024, but authorities discovered that he had repeatedly violated the terms by failing to appear for investigation and ignoring legal procedures.

As a result, the Oktyabr District Court reinstated the detention order. Atambayev is currently being held at Institution No. 21 under the Kyrgyz Migration Committee.