Judge closes hearings in case of former agriculture minister, journalists walk out – News from Uzbekistan – Gazeta.uz

The Tashkent court has ruled that the case against former Uzbekistan Agriculture Minister Aziz Voitov and 49 others will be heard behind closed doors, Daryo reported.

The suspects are accused of theft by embezzlement or misappropriation, fraud, tax or duty evasion, bribery and other crimes.

During the hearing on September 12, a representative of the Agency for Agricultural Services under the Ministry of Agriculture, Gafur Mahkamov, acting as a civil plaintiff, asked the court to close the proceedings.

A journalist who attended the hearing said the agency representative was appearing in court for the first time.

Former Minister Aziz Voitov. Photo: Darjo.

Judge Sardor Sadikov asked other trial participants to give their opinion. Several lawyers objected to the decision, saying that according to the Code of Criminal Procedure, hearings can only be closed in cases involving state secrets or sexual violence.

Other lawyers left the decision to the court’s discretion, while most defendants opposed closing the hearing.

After deliberation, the judge granted the request for closed hearings throughout the proceedings, citing the disclosure of information that could only be used for official purposes.

After the judge appealed to journalists for understanding, media representatives left the courtroom.

They also did so during the previous hearing, after the judge banned the taking of photos, videos and audio recordings of the trial.

Earlier, the Anti-Corruption Agency of Uzbekistan called for transparency of the process. It recalled the presidential decree of June 2021, which states that the National TV and Radio Company and the Anti-Corruption Agency must provide live coverage of court hearings related to the professional activities of officials.