"I felt sorry for his mother": how the Central Park fisherman case in Tashkent ended

The incident involving a young man who was filmed catching fish by hand in Central Park, Tashkent, and insulting the person filming him has ended with the case being dropped, Upl.uz reported.

The case gained wide attention online after a viral video showed the man violating park rules and verbally abusing the video author. In court, he avoided a 15-day administrative arrest due to the victim’s formal withdrawal of charges.

The woman explained in court that she dropped the charges out of compassion: “I felt sorry for his mother, who was sitting in the courtroom.” She emphasized that this act was based on her personal values, not because of any remorse shown by the accused or his family.

Before the trial, neither the man nor his relatives apologized. The only sign of remorse came in court, likely as a tactic to avoid punishment. The girl also noted that the man’s mother behaved aggressively at the district police department.

“I did it not for him, but because I’m not the kind of person who can harm others. The rest is up to his conscience,” she said.

After the trial, the man’s relatives contacted the girl—but only to ask her to delete the video from the internet, not to offer an apology.

While the legal matter is settled, questions remain about the case’s moral impact. Without real consequences, the man may view the incident as just a minor online problem rather than a serious violation.

Nevertheless, this case highlighted the power of public opinion. The girl played an important social role by initiating a conversation about acceptable public behavior.

Online, many have proposed awarding her for her civic stand on environmental protection, while questioning the merit of awards given to some journalists.

Central Park, formerly named after Mirzo Ulugbek and earlier after Telman, contains several artificial ponds. Fishing in these waters is strictly prohibited as they are part of the park’s ecosystem and design. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!