In Uzbekistan, murder attempt of former Uzbek press-secretary lead to a dismissal of top security official

Shots fired in Uzbekistan. Literally and figuratively.

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev launched a series of sweeping changes in government roles in response to a murder attempt of his ally, former press-secretary and top advisor on country’s information politics Komil Allamjonov.

The head of State Security Services Abdusalom Azizov was dismissed from his position.
The current Press-secretary of the president Sherzod Asadov statement read, “Azizov has been transferred to the Secretariat of the Presidential Security Council.” Although the decision might sound pompous, de facto it signifies the end of career.

Who is Komil Allamjonov

A proponent of President Mirziyoyev’s reform agenda, Komil Allamjonov entered the ranks of high profile government officials first as a Press-secretary in 2017. A year later he moved to lead the Uzbek Agency for Press and Information which was renamed to the Agency for Information and Mass Communications (AIMC). At the time Miziyoyev assigned his daughter Saida Mirziyoyeva as Allamjonov’s deputy. Since then they worked in tandem to facilitate Mirziyoyev vision of transforming Uzbekistan. From 2020 to 2022 the two left AIMC to top the Public Foundation for Support and Development of Mass Media. Allamjonov and Mirziyoyeva’s efforts awakened nearly dead Uzbek media landscape, giving more freedom to journalists to cover a range of issues from corruption cases to domestic violence.

In July 2022 Allamjonov and Mirziyoyeva tandem elevated to the President Administration Office. The former became the head of Information policy Department. This means Allamjonov then became the third person in the country following the President and his daughter.

Assassination is unheard of

If there is a country free of gun related problems, then it would be Uzbekistan. Purchasing any weapons is impossible because they are licensed to security and law enforcement agencies. Needless to say that in its modern history, the country has not

experienced any assassination attempt on a politician. So shots at Komil Allamjonov shook Uzbek politics and society.

Because of tight gun purchasing policy, assassination attempt immediately raised a reflag at security services and power struggle inside Uzbek politics. The way law enforcement agencies carried out their communication on the case hinted at internal clash.

How the assassination unfolded and who are the suspects

The incident took place on October 26 at 1:40 a.m. when Komil Allamjonov was returning to his residency in Kibray district of Tashkent region. The two masked gunmen opened fire at the victim’s Range Rover. General Prosecutor’s Office in a statement omitted Allamjonov’s name. The next day GPO captured one suspect. The day following GPO detained another three potential hitman. No names or photographs of suspects have been released.

The main suspect’s name, Javlon Yunusov, however, was silenced up until his detention in South Korea. Yunusov’s name first appeared in a profound investigation of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE). As RFE reported, despite having a criminal record, the suspect successfully run several business in Uzbekistan and South Korea through his civil marriage to Natalya Fen, a daughter of late Uzbek Ambassador to South Korea Vitaliy Fen.

Following the murder attempt, Yunusov escaped to South Korea. On November 25, Uzbek authorities announced Yunusov’s extradiction to his home country.

Another man responsible for assassination attempt, Shohrukh Akhmedov, is in custody.

Other dismissals

Abdusalom Azizov’s firing was followed by a series of other replacements. Assistant to the Prime Minister and Head of the Prime Minister’s Reception Office Sarvar Ashurov, his brother, Colonel Alijon Ashurov, Head of the Internal Security Department of the State Security Service, Akhrorjon Atkhamov, Head of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Operational Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Doniyor Tashkhodjaev, First Deputy Chief of the Tashkent Police Department, and Timur Sobirov, Head of the Organized Crime Department of the Tashkent Police Department were all fired.

Uzbek state media agency “UzA” confirmed the co-relation between dismissals and Komil Allamjonov’s murder attempt.