Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The appellate instance of the Tashkent City Criminal Court completed the retrial of the case of two former officials previously convicted of sexual relations with inmates of an orphanage in Urgench, and made a new decision. This was reported by the press service of the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan.

In September 2022, the criminal court of Khiva district sentenced the former head of the Department of Justice of Khorezm region and the ex-head of the Yangiaryk regional department for emergency situations to 1.5 years of restriction of freedom, which only meant a ban on leaving the house from 22:00 to 6: 00, as well as change place of residence without the consent of the probation authorities and leave the region of residence.

According to the new court decision, the former officials were found guilty under the same articles of the Criminal Code under which they were convicted the first time:

- Part 1 of Article 128 of the Criminal Code (engagement in sexual intercourse with a person under 16 years of age, in accordance with the previous edition);

- Part 1 of Article 128−1 of the Criminal Code (entering into sexual relations with a person aged 16 to 18 years by providing material assets or property benefits).

However, unlike the first verdict, in the new court decision the former officials received the maximum punishment, namely 3 years in prison. The preventive measure in the form of “bail,” applied to the defendants in the first verdict, was canceled, and the former officials were taken into custody directly in the courtroom.