Fazilhoja Arifhojaev

Extra Bio Info:

Fazilhoja Arifhojaev is under house arrest for his religious expression.

On June 28, 2021, authorities arrested Arifhojaev, a blogger known for his criticism of the government's religious policies, following an in-person confrontation with another individual. He was initially charged with petty hooliganism (Art. 183 UAC) and sentenced to 15 days in prison.  During this period, he was reportedly denied access to his lawyer.

On July 13, 2021, the day Arifhojaev was set to be released, authorities revealed that they had opened another criminal investigation into Arifhojaev for allegedly “distributing or displaying materials containing a threat to public security and public order using mass media or telecommunication, or the Internet” (Art. 244-1.3 UCC). This charge reportedly stems from a March 2021 Facebook post Arifhojaev made about congratulating non-Muslims on their religious holidays.

On January 26, 2022, the Olmazor District Court sentenced Arifhojaev to seven years and six months in prison.

In December 2023, Arifhojaev was released from prison and placed under a parole-like sentence at home. 

There are reports that Arifhojaev has been subjected to torture and general mistreatment while in custody, including being forced to remain in a stress position for hours and solitary confinement. 

Arifhojaev's health has declined while in prison.  He reportedly suffers from hernias, heart-related issues, and a toothache that have all impacted his quality of life. His family says that he has also been denied adequate medical care.