Underground Religious Schools in Uzbekistan Accused of Child Abuse

Underground religious schools operating illegally in Uzbekistan have been found to be involved in abuse against children, as reported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Law enforcement agencies carried out raids on several unlicensed religious institutions in the Andijan and Khorezm regions. In some of these schools, children were subjected to physical abuse, officials confirmed.

One such school was discovered in Namangan, where a local resident had turned his home into a clandestine classroom for eight minors. Both the individual and the children’s parents have been held administratively responsible.

In another disturbing case, a chief doctor at a medical center in Andijan reported treating a child with multiple injuries to the head and body. Investigations revealed that the boy had been attending religious classes taught by a 40-year-old woman, who allegedly punished him for poor performance with physical torture, including beatings with sticks and other objects. A criminal case has been opened against her.

A similar incident was reported in Khorezm, where a woman and her daughter operated an illegal religious school with 16 children enrolled. According to police, the two women physically punished students who struggled academically. They also charged families 1 million UZS per child for the illegal education. Authorities have launched a criminal investigation into the case.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports on arrests in Kokand related to supporters of a radical Islamist group.