In Khorezm, a fight in a teahouse ended in murder. The attacker received 16 years in a penal colony

In Khorezm, a quarrel in a teahouse ended in murder. The attacker was sentenced to 16 years in a penal colony

The Khorezm Regional Court sentenced a local resident to 16 years of imprisonment, finding him guilty of murdering a former classmate and attempting on the life of another person. The crime occurred against the backdrop of a domestic conflict in one of the local teahouses.

According to the case materials, the tragedy occurred on April 9, 2026, in the Guzar establishment in the Khanka district. The trigger was a phone call: one of the visitors, who was relaxing in the teahouse with former classmates, called the accused's mother and invited her to join the group.

This conversation infuriated the son — he perceived the invitation as an insult to his family and engaged in a heated argument with the man.

The quarrel that started over the phone soon escalated into a fight. That same evening, the enraged man, together with his father, drove to the teahouse twice. During the first visit, he struck the offender on the head with his fist, but those present managed to separate the fighters.

After that, the man left, but then returned armed with a kitchen knife, which, as the court established, he had bought on the way.

The man's second appearance with the weapon led to a tragic outcome. During the altercation, he dealt a fatal knife blow to the chest of a person who was trying to stop the conflict. Immediately after that, the perpetrator hit a second participant on the head with the handle of the knife, causing him to lose consciousness. Only arriving eyewitnesses were able to finally stop the attacker.

In court, the man stated that he did not intend to kill his former classmates and took the knife merely to scare them. He asked to reclassify the charge, citing severe emotional distress. However, the court rejected his arguments and found the intentional murder and attempted murder to be proven. At the same time, certain qualifying features were excluded from the charge, including particular cruelty and hooligan motives.

In sentencing, the court took into account that the man had no prior convictions, partially admitted guilt, was employed, and supported parents with disabilities. The absence of claims from the surviving victim was also taken into consideration.

As a result, the local resident was sentenced to 16 years of imprisonment in a general-regime penal colony. The term is calculated from April 10, 2026.