Uzbekistan Hands Down Further 10-year Imprisonment for Muslim Prisoner of Conscience

Fariduddin Abduvokhidov, a 30-year-old Muslim prisoner of conscience in Uzbekistan, has been handed a further 10-year prison sentence by Navoi City Court, extending his incarceration until November 2034, Forum18.org reported.

Originally sentenced to 11 years in 2020 for meeting with others in Tashkent to discuss Islam, he received an additional 10-year term in December 2023 for being three minutes late to a prison roll call. His latest conviction, following seven hearings, was based on allegations that he told fellow inmates the prison authorities “are not Muslims but infidels,” with evidence reportedly gathered through prison spies and recorded conversations.

Abduvokhidov was transferred in April 2025 to the high-security Qorovulbozor prison in Bukhara Region, approximately 550 km from his family, who lack the financial means to visit him. His lawyer’s appeals have failed, and family letters were reportedly withheld by prison officials.

Human rights groups criticize the Uzbek regime for targeting peaceful religious expression and using fabricated charges to suppress dissent.