The Kashkadarya Regional Court upheld the conviction of a male defendant for organizing a brothel and knowingly placing others at risk of HIV infection.
On 11 February 2026, the appellate panel reviewed the appeal via videoconference. The defendant, born 1 January 1983 in the Mirishkor District, previously convicted for similar offences, argued that his guilt was unproven and requested acquittal. He admitted some involvement in operating the sauna business but denied creating conditions for sexual intercourse or exposing others to HIV. His defense attorney, E. Nazarov, supported these claims.
The original conviction, issued by the Guzar District Criminal Court on 4 November 2025, found him guilty under:
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Article 131, Part 4, Clause “b” – organising or maintaining a brothel as a repeat or dangerous offender.
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Article 113, Part 4 – knowingly placing another person at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS.
The court established that the defendant had operated the “Gold Sauna” in Yangi Mirishkor mahalla, where an accomplice born in 2004 was exploited as a sex worker. From April to May 2025, the defendant was aware that the accomplice was HIV-positive (diagnosed 7 March 2024, registered with the regional AIDS center) and knowingly allowed sexual services that created a risk of HIV transmission to clients. Evidence included audio recordings, witness testimony, inspection reports, photographs, and money transaction records from the sauna. Expert testimony confirmed that HIV can be transmitted through unprotected sexual activity, including situations involving massage and sexual acts conducted in the sauna.
The appellate court reviewed all evidence, including the defendant’s claims of innocence and the expert’s HIV transmission explanation, and concluded that the first-instance court correctly qualified the offences and assessed the evidence. The defendant’s appeal was rejected, and the original sentence remained in effect.
The court confirmed that, under Uzbek law, the crime of knowingly exposing another person to a sexually transmitted infection is considered complete when the act creates a real risk, regardless of whether transmission actually occurred. Mitigating circumstances were considered under Article 57 of the Criminal Code, but the sentence imposed was lawful, justified, and proportionate.
The verdict of the Guzar District Criminal Court of 4 November 2025 was left unchanged, and the appeal was dismissed.
