On 21 May 2026, the trial of the organisers of the ‘Glamour Gold’ pyramid scheme began at the Yunusabad District Criminal Court. The hearing began two hours late, which only served to highlight the system’s general attitude towards the proceedings. For six years, this criminal network had been plundering the citizens of Uzbekistan with impunity — under the direct patronage of high-ranking officials and security forces.

The very day the trial began added a particular sense of drama to the situation: around 100 victims from various parts of Uzbekistan gathered outside the courthouse. People are prepared to personally defend their rights and demand justice, despite fierce opposition from a corrupt system.

Nine members of an organised criminal group are currently in the dock. However, there is not a single official or law enforcement officer among them who, for years, ensured that this large-scale fraud went unchecked.

The first court hearing concluded in record time, lasting just 24 minutes. The defence stated that the lawyers had not had enough time to familiarise themselves with the case files. The court promptly granted this request and adjourned the hearing. The next hearing is scheduled for 26 May at 10:00.

Despite the colossal scale of the tragedy, the trial was completely ignored by the local media. The only independent observer in the courtroom was human rights activist Tatyana Davlatova.

This precedent has once again exposed a systemic problem: there is virtually no independent press or developed civil society in the country.

This is precisely why the victims are forced to seek support through the information resources of the “Erkin O’zbekiston” movement.

We, for our part, will do everything we can to bring this issue to the international stage.

The case of the “Glamour Gold” pyramid scheme has finally made headway, thanks solely to the unprecedented efforts of a group of affected women: Tatyana Lazareva, Gulsin Mingazova, Lyudmila Kazakova and Anna Shcherbakova.

It was they who forced the authorities to acknowledge the scale of the disaster.

The “Erkin Oʻzbekiston” movement continues to closely monitor developments. We would like to remind you that the Investigative Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan has for a long time obstructed the investigation in every possible way, attempting to shield those responsible from criminal liability.