On the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, the United States is imposing sanctions on former Government of Uzbekistan officials Yulduz Khudaiberganova, Anvar Kuryazov, and Aybek Masharipov under the Global Magnitsky sanctions program for serious human rights abuse, including for their role in human trafficking and perpetuating physical and sexual violence against children at a state-run orphanage in Urgench, Uzbekistan.  Concurrently, the Department of State is also designating Khudaiberganova, Kuryazov, and Masharipov for their involvement in gross violations of human rights, pursuant to Section 7031(c).  During their tenure as government officials, those designated today participated in repeated physical abuse, sexual assault, and trafficking of orphan children.

As outlined in President Biden’s Memorandum on Promoting Accountability for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence, promoting accountability for gender-based violence is a top priority for the U.S. government and for our application of the Global Magnitsky sanctions program.  We call on the Government of Uzbekistan to continue taking action to prevent perpetration of physical and sexual violence by government officials.  We will use all tools at our disposal to impose costs on those who commit such abuses.

The Department of the Treasury’s sanctions actions today were taken pursuant to Executive Order 13818, which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and targets perpetrators of serious human rights abuse around the world.  For more information, see Treasury’s press release. 

The Department of State’s designations are made under section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024 (Div. F, P.L. 118-47), as carried forward by the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2025 (Div. A, P.L. 118-83).