Swiss Court Drops Money Laundering Case Against Gulnara Karimova
The Swiss Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona has suspended its legal proceedings against Gulnara Karimova, SRF reports.
The presiding judge announced on Tuesday morning that the case against the daughter of former Uzbek President Islam Karimov cannot go ahead because she is legally prevented from leaving her home country.
Karimova is currently serving a prison sentence in an Uzbek penal colony where she is expected to remain until December 2028. The statute of limitations for the major offences she faces in Switzerland which include corruption, money laundering and participation in a criminal organisation, will expire earlier in 2028. Consequently the court concluded that no verdict could be reached before the legal timeframe lapses.
While Gulnara Karimova will no longer face trial in person the broader investigation will continue. The Geneva-based private bank Lombard Odier and a former asset manager remain under intense legal scrutiny. Federal prosecutors accuse the bank of accepting illicit funds and actively facilitating the concealment of Karimova’s wealth.
Millions divided across many accounts
Swiss authorities suspect Gulnara Karimova operated a vast financial network that included up to 30 different bank accounts across the country. These accounts were allegedly used to stash millions of dollars in illegal proceeds away from international regulators.
Despite her personal dismissal from the trial her frozen Swiss assets can be permanently confiscated. The court noted that if prosecutors can prove the funds stem from criminal activities during the ongoing trial against Lombard Odier the money can still be seized.
Court correspondent Sibilla Bondolfi suggested that dropping Karimova from the proceedings has a limited impact on the overall case. Bondolfi noted that the primary objective is not necessarily to jail Karimova but to maintain a rigorous framework for restitution.
«Switzerland wants a clean legal reappraisal so that it can correctly return the funds to Uzbekistan,» she explained.
Bondolfi also highlighted that Gulnara Karimova is far from escaping justice. She has been detained in Uzbekistan since 2014 and her ongoing stint in a penal colony represents a far more severe punishment than she would have faced under Swiss law.
