Uzbekistan Sends Note to Russian MFA Over Incident With Taxi Driver

Uzbekistan’s Foreign Ministry has sent an official note to the Russian Foreign Ministry requesting that the identity of a man caught on video insulting a taxi driver from Uzbekistan be established, Orda.kz reports, citing Gazeta.uz.

They also requested that measures be taken against him in accordance with the law, according to ministry spokesman Akhror Burkhanov.

Burkhanov explained that the Foreign Ministry regularly monitors social media and media reports, and when such incidents arise, it works with the competent authorities of foreign countries.

An investigation is being carried out into the incident that caused wide public concern in August. In this regard, an official note was sent to the Russian Foreign Ministry in order to identify the man in the video and ensure legal measures are taken, Burkhanov said.

He also emphasized that Uzbek citizens remain under the protection of their state regardless of where they are.

The case concerns a video published on August 27 by the Telegram channel TRT Na Russkom. It was filmed in the Moscow suburb of Khimki and shows a man shouting at a taxi driver: 

The man’s words were accompanied by expletives.

The driver remained calm, asked the man to stop the insults, then got into his car and drove away. Witnesses said the incident started because the taxi temporarily blocked a courtyard entrance while waiting for a garbage truck to pass along a narrow road.