Former lawmaker Rasul Kusherbayev investigated for online remarks

According to Kusherbayev, although the phone “had no relevance to the case,” it was seized by officers, who also gathered information about him from his neighbors.

The Tashkent Region Department of Internal Affairs clarified that the former MP was summoned following a complaint from a citizen identified as R.F., who alleged that Kusherbayev had published defamatory and insulting content about him on social media.

As part of a preliminary investigation, law enforcement called Kusherbayev in and carried out certain procedural actions on April 19, in accordance with legal procedures.

The police stated that, under Articles 157 and 159 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the investigation team issued a decision to temporarily seize and examine Kusherbayev’s mobile phone in order to ensure a thorough and comprehensive investigation and to verify the claims made in the complaint.

Authorities emphasized that the investigation is still ongoing.

In response to public reaction, the police rejected claims circulating among “certain public activists” that Kusherbayev was arbitrarily detained, that his phone was taken without valid reason, or that he was the target of a politically motivated inquiry. The department stressed these reports are “far from the truth.”

“The citizen’s complaint is being fully examined in accordance with the laws of our country and will receive a proper legal assessment,” the official statement read.

The police department also reminded the public that any procedural action can be appealed through legally established mechanisms.

Finally, it urged the public and media outlets not to spread unverified information, warning that interference in the work of law enforcement or attempts to influence the outcome of legal proceedings through social media or mass media could result in legal consequences.

Later, Kusherbayev revealed that the complaint stemmed from a social media post in which he wrote: “You might respond to a drunkard’s words, but there’s no point in responding to a real dog — even if he considers himself a lawyer.”

“Apparently, someone took offense at this and filed a complaint,” Kusherbayev noted. “But since when is someone’s phone seized for text analysis? That part is hard to understand.”