The YouTube-channel of the political opposition movement “Erkin O’zbekiston” continues to face systematic mass reporting, which, by its nature and timing, indicates signs of a deliberate and coordinated campaign.

We view what is happening as an attempt at politically motivated pressure and digital censorship by the Uzbek authorities.

There are substantial grounds to believe that these actions are initiated or coordinated by structures affiliated with the authorities of Uzbekistan. The purpose of such actions is to artificially create the appearance of violations of the platform’s rules, discredit an independent source of information, and achieve the blocking of the channel.

On 24 February at 07:19 Central European Time, YouTube’s legal department sent us two notifications alleging violations of privacy in content on the “Erkin O’zbekiston” channel. The complaints concern videos published in the spring of 2025: “16 лет тюрьмы за правду” (16 Years in Prison for the Truth) and “Haqiqat uchun 16 yillik qamoq” (16 Years in Prison for the Truth).

These materials are part of our anti-corruption investigation, which uncovered large-scale embezzlement of budget funds through the state unitary enterprise “O‘ZTEXTREYD“, whose director was Khotamjon Yusupov.

The investigation directly led to his arrest and the initiation of criminal proceedings.

However, the case concerning the embezzlement of funds intended for the country’s defense capability was transferred from the General Prosecutor’s Office to the Military Prosecutor’s Office, which is fully subordinate to the State Security Service. The case has effectively been stalled, and the court proceedings in the Military Court appear predetermined, as was previously the case with the staged “attempted murder” of the boyfriend of President Mirziyoyev’s daughter.

Apparently, 79-year-old Batyr Tursunov, the de facto head of the State Security Service, who is seeking to appoint his son to the position of First Deputy Chairman, personally ensured this control in order to guarantee a predictable outcome.

The result is clear: those responsible for the embezzlement remain unpunished, the investigation has been sabotaged, and the State Security Service has been turned into an instrument of personal power, political manipulation, and the protection of the privileges of a narrow group of corrupt high-ranking officials. This is not an accident — it is the systemic exploitation of state institutions to suppress independent opposition and criticism of the authorities.