The purpose of punishing minors is not revenge or torment, but rehabilitation — Tashkent courts

The purpose of punishing minors is not revenge or torment, but rehabilitation — Tashkent courts

The court's decision to sentence minor Doniyor Turgunov, who hit a road patrol officer with a car in Tashkent, leading to his death, to 2 years and 4 months of imprisonment, has sparked discussion on social networks. The press service of the Tashkent City Courts provided a comment on this matter.

The press service reported that criminal cases involving minors are considered in closed court hearings. Imprisonment for minors is imposed in accordance with the requirements of Article 85 of the Criminal Code. The code specifies that such punishment is served not in general regime colonies, but in educational colonies.

At the time of committing the crime in February 2026, Doniyor Turgunov was not yet 16 years old; he was a 10th-grade school student. The court found him guilty under paragraph "d" of part 3 of Article 104 of the Criminal Code (intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm resulting in the death of the victim).

The press service of the capital's courts emphasized that minors are considered not fully formed from psychological, physiological, and social points of view, and the system of their punishment is built on the principles of humanism. "The main purpose of punishment is not revenge or torment, but moral correction, rehabilitation, and returning the person as a healthy member of society," the comment says.

When sentencing Turgunov, the court took into account that he is a school student and that he was under 16 years old at the time of the crime.

"The dedication of the road patrol officer, who died prematurely as a result of the crime, is an example for the younger generation. The minor's action, however, is a bitter lesson not only for them, but also for parents," the comment says.

The city courts noted that the sentence has not yet entered into legal force. The parties have the right to file an appeal in accordance with the law. In this case, the case will be reviewed by a higher court instance.

According to Gazeta.uz, Junior Sergeant Khosilbek Eshnazarov, whom the schoolboy hit with a BMW M4 car, sustained severe injuries and died in the hospital without regaining consciousness. The President posthumously awarded him the "Jasorat" ("Courage") medal.

It was also reported that the teenager's parents had previously been held administratively liable twice. In September 2025 — due to the schoolboy missing classes, and in January 2026 — after unauthorized driving of a car and a gross violation of traffic rules.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs also reported that the BMW M4 belongs to Leyla Atadiyanova, born in 2002. According to the ministry, since 2024, she had handed over the driving of cars to persons without a driver's license 18 times and committed 37 other gross traffic violations.

In a video published by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the teenager admitted that he had previously received a warning for driving a car. "I promised that I would not drive a car anymore. But I violated it again and got behind the wheel. All my actions are wrong," he said.