Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — A resident of Samarkand Ergashkul Khasanov has been sentenced to three years of restricted freedom for promoting the restoration of the USSR through social media.

Khasanov was actively involved in the "Uzbek SSR/USSR" group on the Telegram messenger and ran a YouTube channel named "Enlightenment," where he posted content calling for the restoration of the USSR. His materials claimed that the USSR had not officially dissolved and that the former 15 republics had unilaterally declared independence with the support of the United States.

In 2021, Khasanov began showing a keen interest in the speeches of Russian Oleg Turishkin. During their communication on Telegram, Turishkin asked Khasanov if he had filed for withdrawal from Soviet citizenship. Upon receiving a negative response, Turishkin sent him a certificate of Soviet citizenship.

Khasanov also met a certain Alexei Ivanovich and visited Moscow in January 2023, where he met with other supporters of restoring the Soviet Union, who claimed that the Stalin-era constitution would soon be reinstated.

A comprehensive judicial political-linguistic expertise concluded that Khasanov’s materials contained ideas openly calling for unconstitutional changes to Uzbekistan’s current political system.

In court, Khasanov did not admit guilt but requested a reduction in sentence.

The court found him guilty under the article concerning public calls for unconstitutional changes to the state system, which carries a maximum penalty of up to ten years in prison.

Khasanov was sentenced to three years of restricted freedom. He is prohibited from leaving his residence in Samarkand from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM, changing his residence without the permission of the supervising authority, traveling outside the Samarkand region, and using the internet.