Former Head of Migration Agency Cleared of Fraud and Money Laundering Charges, Released from Prison
Afzal Irmatov, who was formerly the head of the External Labor Migration Agency in Uzbekistan, has been acquitted of charges after being initially sentenced to eight years in prison for allegedly collecting excess payments from citizens traveling to South Korea.
Irmatov, who held the position from March 17, 2022, until his arrest on January 2, 2023, was accused of working with an organized group to extort money from labor migrants. However, a final ruling by the Supervisory Instance of the Tashkent City Criminal Court on April 8, 2025, declared him not guilty and officially rehabilitated him, closing the criminal case against him.
The charges against Irmatov under Article 243 of the Criminal Code were dropped, as it was determined that no crime had occurred. His remaining charges were reduced to a fine of 93.6 million UZS and a three-year ban on holding positions of authority in the migration sector. He was released from custody immediately following the court’s ruling.
Irmatov had already spent 576 days in detention, which were deducted from his sentence. The court ruling outlined the allegations against Irmatov, stating that he was accused of forming an organized group to profit through fraudulent means by collecting excess payments from individuals traveling to South Korea as labor migrants.
News of Irmatov’s arrest first emerged in March 2023, despite his previous tenure as the head of the External Labor Migration Agency from 2010 to 2013. His acquittal brings an end to a legal battle that spanned several years.
