Uzbekistan and Switzerland Agree on Return of $182 Million in Karimova Assets

The document provides for the return of about $182 million, which was seized in 2012 as part of a criminal case against Gulnara Karimova, the daughter of the country's first President, Orda.kz reports, citing the Uzbek Ministry of Justice.

The Uzbek government and the Swiss Federal Council have signed an agreement on the division of confiscated assets.

The document was signed on February 6 in Tashkent by Uzbek Minister of Justice Akbar Tashkulov and Swiss Ambassador Konstantin Obolensky.

This marks the second return of Karimova's assets, following an initial tranche of $131 million.

As with the previous transfer, the funds will be channeled through the UN Uzbekistan Vision 2030 Trust Fund, bringing the total returned assets to $313 million.

The funds will support socially significant projects in Uzbekistan, including healthcare and education.

Karimov's eldest daughter was first investigated in 2012.

In 2018, she received a 10-year prison sentence for extortion, tax evasion, and corruption crimes. She has been held in Penal Colony No. 21 in Tashkent Region since 2019, though her conviction was recently reduced.

Karimova faced additional trials on other charges. She was also found guilty of creating an organized criminal group, extortion, embezzlement, and money laundering, resulting in an extension of her prison term.

Original Author: Artyom Volkov