Lawyer says “his health is critical,” while the Ombudsman denies it: What is the condition of Mubashshir Ahmad in custody?

In recent days, alarming reports have circulated that religious scholar and blogger Alisher Tursunov, known by the pseudonym Mubashshir Ahmad and the founder of the Azon Global information and analytical portal, is being held under harsh conditions in a penal colony in Navoi Region despite serious health problems. In order to clarify the situation, QALAMPIR.UZ contacted Tursunov’s lawyer, Abdulloh Sodiq.

According to the lawyer, Tursunov is currently serving a sentence of two years and six months of imprisonment at Penal Colony No. 5, operated by the Department for the Execution of Sentences under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan, located in Kiziltepa District of Navoi Region.

Although petitions were repeatedly submitted during the investigation and court proceedings stating that Tursunov’s health was poor, that he had been suffering from type II diabetes for many years, and that he could not be kept in detention, these circumstances were not taken into account when preventive measures were applied or when the sentence was imposed.

On November 26, 2025, when lawyers met Tursunov in person at Penal Colony No. 5, it became known that his blood pressure had repeatedly exceeded 180, that his kidneys were functioning poorly as a result of diabetes, that his legs were severely swollen, and that these and other accompanying illnesses posed a serious threat to his health and life. Moreover, these facts were also confirmed in an official letter provided in response to a lawyers’ inquiry.

During a follow-up meeting between the lawyers and Mubashshir Ahmad on December 26, he stated that he had not received any of the treatments mentioned in the letter, that he had only undergone a medical examination, had not been hospitalized, had not been provided with medication, and had not even been allowed basic rest.

However, when lawyers approached the Department for the Execution of Sentences under the Ministry of Internal Affairs on two occasions, the deputy head of the department and the head of the medical service reportedly provided inaccurate information, claiming that the inmate had received medical treatment at the medical unit several times, was currently undergoing treatment, was in good health, and therefore was being sent to work. In addition, it was stated that during the course of serving his sentence, Tursunov was being forced to work at one of the brick factories located in Kiziltepa District. The lawyer added that despite his client’s extremely poor health condition, he is being compelled to stand and work for up to 16 hours a day.

“Despite clearly seeing that Alisher Tursunov’s health is poor, that he is suffering from diabetes, that his legs are swollen, that his kidneys are not functioning properly, and that various wounds are appearing on his body, what is the purpose of forcing him to work in harsh and cold weather conditions?” Abdulloh Sodiq asked.

The above facts, including that the inmate, who was transferred on October 28, 2025, received medical treatment three times within one month and suffers from diabetes, arthrosis, angina, and other accompanying illnesses, indicate that he is unable to serve a sentence involving deprivation of liberty.

Tursunov also stated that, under the law, he should be transferred to a settlement colony on March 11, 2026, after serving one-third of his sentence. However, he expressed concern that pressure could be exerted on him, that minor violations could be formally recorded, and that efforts might be made to delay his transfer.

In addition, Mubashshir Ahmad reported unequal treatment by prison staff compared to other inmates. For example, he said that some prisoners who catch a common cold are allowed to stay in the medical unit for five to six days, while he, despite multiple illnesses, swollen legs, and wounds on his feet that are darkening and progressing toward gangrene, is not permitted to receive treatment. In short, despite his condition being critical, he is only being forced to go to work.

He also stated that his complaints about pain in his legs and wounds are being ignored, that he is only given pain-relieving injections, which are temporary measures, after which the pain returns and he struggles to walk.

“In this condition, A. Tursunov is forced to sleep on an upper bunk. The wound on his foot causes him pain every time he climbs up or down. It has even caused him to fall several times. Most regrettably, pressure is being exerted on my client, urging that his lawyers visit less frequently, or if possible, not visit at all,” said Abdulloh Sodiq.

After the serious health-related concerns surrounding Mubashshir Ahmad became the subject of public discussion, the regional representative of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) in Navoi Region visited the colony where Alisher Tursunov is serving his sentence. However, as expected, when officials arrived, everything was presented as being in order. It was stated that no problematic issues were identified when Mubashshir Ahmad’s health and detention conditions were examined. Moreover, during a private conversation with the Ombudsman, the inmate himself reportedly said that he had no complaints about the provision of medical care at the institution, that Alisher Tursunov regularly undergoes full medical examinations, that there have only been minor changes in his health due to pre-existing illnesses, and that he is receiving appropriate medical assistance.

It was also stated that the inmate is engaged in labor at the institution voluntarily, specifically performing kitchen duties, that he is not working beyond the limits established by law, and that his working conditions comply with occupational safety regulations.

Alisher Tursunov also did not express complaints regarding food provision or living conditions. According to him, he is being provided with food based on established norms, taking his health condition into account. In short, the alarming reports presented by the lawyer regarding Mubashshir Ahmad’s health and detention conditions were portrayed as completely unfounded. In order to further examine the situation, QALAMPIR.UZ contacted the Ministry of Internal Affairs. However, the ministry’s spokesperson stated that the matter concerning Mubashshir Ahmad could not be disclosed due to its personal nature.

In light of the above situation, what does the law actually say?

Article 75, Part One of the Criminal Code states that a person who, after a verdict is issued, suffers from another serious illness that prevents the serving of a sentence must be released from serving that sentence. The illnesses that fall under this provision are listed in a joint resolution of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Health titled “On Approval of the Rules for Medical Examination of Seriously Ill Convicts and for Submitting Them for Release from Serving Their Sentence Due to Illness.”

In particular, the diagnosis officially established for religious scholar Mubashshir Ahmad, type II diabetes, is included in the list of “Diseases that serve as grounds for submitting convicts for release from serving their sentence due to illness” under the joint resolution.

In fact, such release is not foreign to Uzbekistan’s legal system. For example, on March 19, 2024, Salim Abduvaliev was found guilty of illegal handling of firearms and sentenced to six years of imprisonment. More than 10 months later, on January 12, 2025, Salim Abduvaliev was released from serving his sentence under Article 75 of the Criminal Code due to illness.

Court proceedings related to Mubashshir Ahmad had previously also been a subject of controversy.

At the beginning of 2025, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that Mubashshir Ahmad (Alisher Ahmadovich Tursunov) had been placed on a wanted list under Article 244-2, Part One of the Criminal Code, which concerns the creation of, leadership of, or participation in religious extremist, separatist, fundamentalist, or other banned organizations. However, the ministry’s spokesperson, Shohrukh Giyosov, later stated that Mubashshir Ahmad was not suspected of committing the crime specified under that article and that a technical error had been made in disseminating the information.

Subsequently, on May 8, 2025, Mubashshir Ahmad was taken from his home in Istanbul’s Bahçeşehir district on suspicion of preparing and storing illegal materials. It was reported that on the same day of his detention, an initial inquiry was conducted with the participation of his lawyers. According to the latest information provided to the lawyers that day, after the inquiry, Alisher Tursunov was supposed to be transferred to Istanbul’s Deportation Center and released from there the following day. However, even after four days had passed, the Immigration Directorate did not provide any information to his lawyers or relatives regarding his whereabouts, health, or legal proceedings. Under Turkish law, the family of a detained person must be informed, and the detainee must be allowed to communicate with relatives. As a result, the family and close associates of Mubashshir Ahmad, who had long suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure, became concerned about his condition, and protest posts increased on social media. During this period, reports circulated that Mubashshir Ahmad had been deported from Turkey to Uzbekistan. It was claimed that authorities attempted to deport him urgently on May 9, but due to public intervention, he was instead sent to the city of Edirne.

Turkish lawyer Ibrahim Ergin stated that Mubashshir Ahmad was held under intelligence supervision at the Migration Office in Edirne and later returned to Istanbul. During this time, the lawyer put forward claims that the religious scholar had been handed over to Uzbekistan illegally, bypassing the legal system.

Shortly after these events, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan officially confirmed that Alisher Tursunov had been deported from Turkey to Uzbekistan. According to the ministry, citizen Alisher Ahmadovich Tursunov was detained by law enforcement authorities in Turkey on May 8 and deported to Uzbekistan on May 10.

After Mubashshir Ahmad was brought to Uzbekistan, court hearings related to his case were repeatedly postponed, sparking widespread public debate. The final hearing took place on October 8 at the Uchtepa District Criminal Court.

In his final statement, Mubashshir Ahmad said that he had conducted his activities impartially and denied the charges against him, admitting only that he had published religious materials without permission from authorized bodies and without approval from the Committee for Religious Affairs, which he said occurred while he was outside Uzbekistan. He asked the court for leniency, citing the fact that he has underage children, is the family’s breadwinner, has health problems, and is engaged in academic research.

After a court hearing that lasted one hour, Mubashshir Ahmad was found guilty of committing crimes under Article 156, Part Two of the Criminal Code (incitement of national, racial, ethnic, or religious hatred), Article 244-1, Part Three, subparagraph “g” (preparation, storage, distribution, or demonstration of materials posing a threat to public security and public order), and Article 244-3 (illegal preparation, storage, importation, or distribution of religious materials). He was sentenced to two years and six months of imprisonment, to be served in a general-regime colony.

At the same time, the activities of Mubashshir Ahmad’s and Azon Global’s pages and channels on Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, and YouTube were ordered to be terminated and blocked.