In Surkhandarya, a medieval monument was destroyed to construct a barn

According to the press release from the Prosecutor General's Office, it was discovered that a monument dating back to the 5th-7th centuries in the Denov district of the Surkhandarya region was demolished to make space for a barn.

During an event organized by the prosecutor's office in collaboration with the Cultural Heritage Agency, it was revealed that 876 cubic meters of the archaeological site of Kattatepa in the Denov district, which dates back to the 5th-7th centuries, was intentionally destroyed by Z.H., who intended to construct a barn. The damage caused to the monument amounted to 23.3 billion soums.

Furthermore, 193 cubic meters of soil from the Oqtepa-1 archaeological site in the Navoi region were unlawfully excavated by three individuals, resulting in damage of 2.6 billion soums to the monument. Additionally, 164 cubic meters of the Badakhshontepa archaeological site were converted into agricultural land, causing damage amounting to 2.3 billion soums, while excavation in the vicinity of the Yomonqiyottepa monument led to damage totaling 163 million soums.

Similarly, 0.48 hectares of the medieval Tolmozortepa archaeological site in the Uychi district of the Namangan region were transferred to citizen A.K., resulting in damage amounting to 871 million soums to the monument.

It is emphasized that criminal cases have been initiated, and investigations are ongoing.

It's worth noting that these criminal acts are considered severe offenses under the law, with guilty individuals facing penalties of up to 7 years of imprisonment.