Religious scholar Mubashshir Ahmad deported from Turkey and detained in Uzbekistan

According to the MIA, the 51-year-old scholar, was on the wanted list. He was detained in Turkey on May 8 and deported to Uzbekistan on May 10.

The Ministry stated that a criminal case was launched against him “based on findings from an expert analysis which concluded that the information disseminated via social media platforms associated with him contained content in violation of Uzbekistan’s legislation.” As a result, he has been charged under the following articles of the Uzbek Criminal Code:

•  Article 244¹ – Production, storage, distribution, or display of materials that pose a threat to public safety and public order;

•  Article 244³ – Illegal production, storage, import, or distribution of materials with religious content.

“A preventive measure in the form of detention has been applied. Investigative actions are currently underway within the framework of the criminal case,” the Ministry’s statement reads.

Mubashshir Ahmad is known to be an influential religious scholar among the Uzbek-speaking segment of social media. He is also the founder of educational projects such as Azon.uz and Azon TV, and the author of several religious books.

He had been residing in Turkey for several years. At the end of 2023, Turkish police reportedly detained him from his home on suspicion of posing a threat to public safety. He was held at a deportation center for 55 days but was released in February 2024 due to lack of evidence.

News of a criminal case being opened against him in Uzbekistan first surfaced in February 2024.

In recent months, Mubashshir Ahmad publicly voiced his condemnation of the Israeli military campaign in Gaza, describing it as genocide and calling on the international community to demand its immediate end. 

Many activists in Turkey have reacted angrily to their government's decision to deport the scholar, expressing their dismay and frustration on social media. Supporters have also drawn historical parallels, noting that prominent religious figures such as Imam Bukhari, Imam Maturidi, and Imam Tirmidhi, as well as the Jadids in the last century, also faced persecution in their lifetimes – yet today, they are remembered with deep respect and honored as forebears of a proud spiritual and intellectual heritage.