Otabek Sattoriy

Otabek Sattoriy is an independent blogger and journalist from Uzbekistan. He was arrested on January 29, 2021, on charges of extortion and libel and was sentenced to six years and six months in prison. However, these charges likely resulted from Sattoriy's coverage of government corruption during the 2020-1 gas shortage.

Background Following the death of Islam Karimov in 2016, restrictions placed on the media in Uzbekistan loosened somewhat. As a result, many independent bloggers and journalists started posting on different social media platforms, such as Telegram.

Arrest and trial In December 2020, Sattoriy was confronted while filming a story about high prices at a market by a man who, “tried to prevent him from filming, forcefully taking his phone and then returning it broken.”

On July 15, 2021, an appeals court ruled against Sattoriy and upheld the charges.

On April 5, 2022, the Supreme Court upheld the sentence and charges.