Blogger jailed after quarrel with taxi driver: what lies behind the incident?

A dispute that began between a taxi driver and a passenger in Tashkent took a serious turn. A blogger who intervened in the incident was arrested after using force against the driver.

The incident occurred on 17 August in Tashkent’s Yashnobod district. A dispute broke out between a taxi driver and a female passenger. Later, two acquaintances of the woman—also bloggers—arrived at the scene. They argued with the driver, insulted him and used force against him.

After the altercation, the taxi driver sought medical attention at a hospital with bodily injuries.

He was found to have:

• swelling in the forehead and back-of-the-head areas;

• injuries to the shoulder and flank;

• abrasions on the chest and abdomen.

Following the incident, the bloggers accused the driver of sexual assault against the female passenger and shared videos of the incident on social media.

They later recorded a video appeal, asking the public to help clear their names. However, the videos were subsequently deleted from their pages. According to the Tashkent City Department of Internal Affairs, a criminal case was opened against the blogger, who was taken into custody.