Sergeli explosion: Court sentences four defendants to five years in prison

Directors of the companies Inter Logistics LLC and Polychem LLC were found guilty of violating fire safety regulations, which led to the tragic incident. Additionally, each defendant has been barred from holding leadership and fire safety-related positions for two years. The court also ordered them to collectively pay 282 billion UZS in damages to the victims.

The explosion, which occurred on September 28, 2023, at 2:43 AM in an Inter Logistics warehouse in the Quruvchilar neighborhood of Tashkent’s Sergeli district, caused significant damage. Official reports stated that 39 multi-story residential buildings and 246 houses were affected, with total damages estimated at 14.5 billion UZS. The blast claimed the life of a teenager and injured over 100 people.

On October 11, 2023, the Mirobod District Court, presided over by Judge Dadaboeva, ruled on the case, finding all four defendants guilty under Article 259, Part 2, Sections “a” and “b” of the Criminal Code. This article concerns the violation of fire safety regulations by responsible persons that result in fatalities or other severe consequences.

The court sentenced:

• Firdavs Sayiddinov, Director of Inter Logistics LLC, to five years in prison for his role in the fire safety violations. He was also barred from holding leadership positions for two years and will serve his sentence in a penal colony.
• Farhod Abdurahimov, Head of Security at Inter Logistics LLC, to five years in prison with the same restrictions and sentence conditions as Saiddinov.
• Sardor Bahromov, Director of Polychem LLC, to five years in prison, similarly barred from leadership and fire safety roles for two years.
• Kamoliddin Nazarov, Warehouse Manager at Polychem LLC, to five years in prison with the same conditions as the other defendants.

The court’s ruling also mandated the collective compensation of 282 billion UZS to civilian victims and plaintiffs by Inter Logistics LLC, Polychem LLC, and the convicted individuals. The sentence will be enforced as of September 29, 2023, and the defendants will remain in custody.