In March 2025, the Kashkadarya Regional Court, sitting as an appellate criminal panel in a closed session, upheld a first-instance conviction under Part 4 of Article 113 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan for the knowing transmission of HIV. The defendant had been diagnosed with HIV in 2021, registered with a regional AIDS center, and formally warned about prevention measures and criminal liability. However, the court found that he engaged in unprotected sexual relations with his spouse, resulting in her HIV infection, and separately donated blood in 2023 to a woman who had experienced severe postpartum bleeding, also resulting in HIV transmission. Both infections were confirmed by medical testing in 2024.
The defendant appealed the six-year prison sentence imposed by the district court, seeking a non-custodial penalty based on his confession, remorse, lack of prior convictions, and family responsibilities. After reviewing the case file, hearing the parties, and examining the evidence—including victim testimony, medical records, and proof of prior warnings—the appellate court concluded that the sentence was lawful, proportionate, and justified. It found no grounds to further mitigate the punishment and rejected arguments for a non-custodial sentence.
The appellate court therefore dismissed the appeals and left the original conviction and sentence unchanged.
