In the city of Kagan, Bukhara region, a court verdict was announced against 68-year-old U.O., a second-group disabled woman residing there. This incident caused significant public concern and anxiety among local residents.
According to Feruz Sharopov, head of the press service of the Bukhara Regional Court, on August 14, 2025, the Kagan City Criminal Court found U.O. guilty under Article 97 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan — intentional homicide, and sentenced her to 5 years of imprisonment.
Court documents stated that U.O. had completely lost her sight. She could only perceive light in the form of white color. Due to the absence of close relatives, she was forced to live alone. Neighbors knew her well and regularly checked on her condition.
In June of this year, U.O.’s neighbor invited a master named M.M., an ethnic Russian, to repair her house. After completing that work, U.O. also requested him to plaster the walls of her own house.
A few days later, M.M. came to U.O.’s house, plastered the walls, and received his payment. He also assisted the homeowner — bringing water and helping with cooking. Because of this, U.O. began to trust the master and regarded him as a friend. She often spoke with him, and he helped her collect her pension. The woman even planned to host him with food purchased from her pension.
However, she did not know that the master had bought not only groceries but also alcohol — vodka. When she returned home, U.O. asked M.M., who was in the kitchen cooking, why he bought vodka and why he was drinking it. M.M. denied consuming alcohol, but U.O. smelled it and realized he was drinking. Despite her repeated warnings, the master continued to drink and even tried to force the elderly woman to drink with him. He even began to violate her personal boundaries.
Being strictly against alcohol and immorality, never married and physically weak due to her disability, U.O. was forced to resist. While peeling potatoes, she had a kitchen knife in her hand, with which she struck the drunken M.M. in the left thigh and chest area from bottom to top, causing injuries that resulted in his death.
During the trial, U.O. fully admitted her guilt. The deceased’s son, R.M., testified that his father had long been a regular consumer of alcoholic beverages and stated that he had no claims against the accused, requesting legal leniency for her.
When sentencing, the court took into account U.O.’s age, her gender, her health condition, her clean criminal record, and the absence of claims from the victim’s relatives, and therefore imposed a lighter punishment.
This incident once again highlights the need to pay attention to issues of trust, loneliness, and vulnerability among people. In our community, there are such individuals, and we should not leave them alone. They are also equal members of society, in need of protection and support.
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