On the 3rd of March, Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Secretary, Sherzod Asadov, announced that Aziz Tashpulatov, the previous head of Tashkent’s Main Department of Internal Affairs, was appointed as the new Minister of Internal Affairs. This announcement was later confirmed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which also stated that the former Minister, Pulat Bobojonov, was reassigned as the First Deputy Advisor to the President on Personnel Policy.
The reasons behind Bobojonov’s reassignment remain undisclosed by the Uzbek authorities. However, speculation suggests it could be connected to the broader reshuffling of security personnel following the attempted assassination of Komil Allamjonov in October 2024.
In February, ten individuals were convicted by the Uzbekistan Military Court for their involvement in the assassination attempt. The Supreme Court of Uzbekistan disclosed the verdict and sentences on February 12th, providing partial details about five of the convicts. Shukhrat Rasulov, Shokhrukh Akhmedov, and Ismoil Jahongirov each received a 23-year sentence.
Akhmedov and Jahongirov confessed their involvement in the attack on Allamjonov in a video posted on social media. The duo had previously been connected to an assassination attempt in Turkey in 2021, which targeted critics of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
Javlon Yunusov, who was handed an 18.5-year sentence, was extradited from South Korea in November 2024 where he had fled after the assassination attempt on Allamjonov. It was reported that Yunusov played a connecting role between the orchestrators and the executors of the attack.
The actual motive behind the attack and the mastermind remain unidentified by the authorities. However, reports suggest that the roots of the attack trace back to a deep state organization supposedly led by Otabek Umarov, the son-in-law of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Rasulov, who was also sentenced to 23 years, was the head of the State Security Service’s Internal Security Department from 2018 to 2020. Sources claim that Rasulov was Umarov’s closest associate.
The Supreme Court also announced the sentencing of Doniyor Tashkhodjaev, who was accused of attempting to obscure the crime and hinder the investigation, to seven years. Until his dismissal in November’s purge, Tashkhodjaev was the first deputy chief of Tashkent’s Main Department of Internal Affairs.
The reassignment of officials following a scandal is commonplace. Some officials face consequences, while others seize the opportunity to ascend. The diverging paths of Tashkhodjaev and Tashpulatov, both previously of Tashkent’s Main Department of Internal Affairs, illustrate this point. Although the reshuffle may not be over, there’s no guarantee of its effectiveness in reinstating trust in security services from the President or the populace.
Following the announcement of the verdicts and sentences by the Supreme Court, Allamjonov made a rare public comment, stating that the truth, despite attempts to conceal it, always prevails. He also mentioned that there is still work to be done and challenging days ahead.
