Uzbekistan Acquits 198 Intellectuals Repressed During Soviet Era

Uzbekistan acquitted 198 intellectuals of the country, who were repressed and unjustly accused following court decisions during the Soviet era.

A statement by the Uzbek Supreme Court on Monday said the intellectuals sentenced through 11 cases in 1930-1938 were acquitted during open court sessions chaired by the Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Court Ikram Muslimov.

The statement recalled that the intellectuals based in multiple regions of the country, including the capital Tashkent, were accused by Soviet authorities of "counter-revolutionary actions and armed uprisings, terrorism, banditry and espionage."

It further said efforts are being made by Uzbek authorities to "restore historical justice and vindicate the names of our ancestors who were unjustly accused, their property was confiscated, and they themselves were persecuted during the authoritarian regime."

It said the adoption of a presidential decree in October 2020 paved the way for these efforts, and that a working group was formed in the Supreme Court on issues related to the vindication of those repressed during Soviet times.

"Thanks to the consistent work and extensive efforts of the working group, 1,031 compatriots who were repressed during the Soviet era were rehabilitated and acquitted in recent years," it added.

About 100,000 were repressed and 13,000 people were executed in Uzbekistan by Soviet authorities between 1937 and 1953. -