A court verdict was read against a lawyer in Surkhandarya who demanded 60,000 US dollars from his client in exchange for "mitigating the sentence" and "release from prison".
It was established that R.N., a lawyer of the "SHM" Bar Association operating in Jarkurghon district, demanded a bribe of 60,000 dollars from O.Ch., the brother of J.Q., whose case was being heard in court and who was charged under Part 3, clause "a" of Article 128 of the Criminal Code (sexual intercourse with a person under sixteen). In exchange for this money, he promised to "mitigate" his brother's sentence through his acquaintances.
On July 11, 2025, a rapid operation was carried out by employees of the SSS and prosecutor's office in the "Surkhon Shore" neighborhood of Jarkurghon district. During this operation, R.N. was caught red-handed while receiving 50,000 US dollars of the demanded money in his office.
"For several years now, I have been working as a lawyer, providing assistance to citizens in civil, economic, administrative, and criminal cases. During the conversation with O.Ch., after hearing some details, based on my experience, I thought his brother could be acquitted. That's why I informed him that I could participate in the court proceedings and that a contract should be drawn up for this. I asked for 15,000 US dollars as a fee," the defendant said in his testimony.
The Kizirik District Court for Criminal Cases found R.N. guilty under Article 25, Part 4, clause "a" of Article 168 (fraud) and Article 28, Part 3, clause "a" of Article 211 (bribery) of the Criminal Code. He was sentenced to 10 years and 1 month of imprisonment. He was also deprived of the right to engage in legal practice for a period of 2 years.
