The appeals court in Tashkent on 3 January released Gayrat Dustov, a driver who was arrested on 28 December for 15 days after his outburst at officials over the closure of a gas filling station.
The video of a man, which appeared on 23 December, went viral on social media. In it, he shows torn shoes and says he had to leave his car in line for three days but when his turn came, the station was slosed.
Using some swearing words, he says he has no normal food at home and has to care for his disabled relatives (a bloger later said he had not such relatives). He asks officials why they don’t take measures and says gasoline quality if very bad.
The man’s arrest caused criticism and calls to help him. Activists gathered tens of millions of soums in just one day.
Appeal
The court, chaired by judge Farrukh Ergashev, on Friday reviewed Dustov’s appeal against the decision of the first-instance court chaired by judge Durdona Dadakhonova. The latter found the man guilty under article 183 of the Administrative Code of Uzbekistan (minor hooliganism).
The hearing, scheduled for 3:00 PM, started closer to 5:00 PM. The Supreme Court press secretary Aziz Abidov announced that the court began reviewing the appeal but then declared a break at the request of Dustov’s lawyers, who asked to ensure the presence of their defendant, who was absent from the session.
The session was attended by reporters from Gazeta.uz, Kun.uz, Daryo.uz and Qalampir.uz. Journalists from other media outlets and some public activists, including human rights defender Abdurahmon Tashanov, were unable to enter the courtroom.
During the session, Dustov felt unwell. He grabbed his chest, as reported by Gazeta.uz correspondent. The defendant’s relatives tried to help him by spraying water on his face. The judge asked journalists to temporarily leave the courtroom to air it out. The court declared a short break.
Emergency medical workers arrived after about 30 minutes and provided first aid.
Speaking to the court, Dustov claimed that he was not tortured or beaten. However, he mentioned that a bag was placed over his head, and he was taken to a basement.
“I did not betray my country, I am not a traitor,” Dustov repeated several times.
He completely denied the statements of the claimant Niyaz Khasanov (gas station manager), who said he was insulted by Dustov, and said that Khasanov had slandered him.
Dustov stated that he did not insult the manager and had no conflict with him.
In his final statement, the driver said that the laws in Uzbekistan are well-written and they must be applied fairly.
Judge Farrukh Ergashev asked if Dustov regretted his actions: “In such cold, being in a place called Panelny (pre-trial detention center), was it worth it?”
Dustov said that it “wasn't worth it”, expressed regret for his actions and apologized. He also asked the court to reduce his punishment.
After deliberations, the court decided to change the first-instance court’s ruling, reducing the arrest term from 15 to 8 days and releasing him.
