Switzerland Charges Gulnara Karimova, Daughter of Former Uzbekistan President, with Corruption Offenses

Gulnara Karimova, the daughter of former Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov, has been formally charged with multiple corruption offenses by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) in Switzerland. The charges against her include money laundering, bribery, and involvement in a criminal network.

Key details of the case:

• Suspicions of Karimova’s involvement in criminal activities were first raised in 2012. Subsequently, the Swiss OAG initiated a criminal investigation that resulted in the seizure of approximately 780 million Swiss francs worth of assets.
• The initial investigation focused on money laundering but later expanded to include her participation in and support for a criminal organization known as ‘The Office.’ The indictment alleges that Karimova played a role in developing and directing this hierarchical criminal organization between 2001 and 2013.
• According to the Swiss OAG, ‘The Office’ began its operations in Switzerland in 2005 with the aim of concealing illicit capital in Swiss bank accounts. They describe the organization as conducting criminal activities in a business-like manner, adhering to regulations, and employing both financial practices and intimidation tactics.
• Following the conclusion of their investigation, the Swiss OAG filed charges in the Federal Criminal Court (FCC) against Gulnara Karimova. An unnamed former director of a Russian telecommunications company’s Uzbek subsidiary has also been charged, accused of being a key member of ‘The Office,’ particularly in criminal activities related to the Uzbek telecommunications sector.
• Notably, the alleged offenses occurred during the presidency of Islam Karimov, Gulnara Karimova’s father. During this time, she held a high-profile position in Uzbekistan, operating an entertainment television channel, releasing her music, and serving in the UN Office in Geneva, where she had diplomatic immunity. Currently, Karimova is incarcerated in Uzbekistan under an embezzlement conviction and denies the charges brought against her by the Swiss OAG.
• The FCC will now handle the case’s proceedings, and the Swiss OAG has also requested the confiscation of assets totaling more than CHF 440 million linked to ‘The Office’s’ operations.

This indictment represents a significant development in the legal proceedings against Gulnara Karimova, who has faced allegations of corruption and illegal activities for several years.