Tree felling under the Tashkent moratorium: damage assessments, prosecutor cases and ministry counts
- In 2022, 58 trees were cut on a 0.20 ha plot in Chilanzar after inspectors had inventoried them. Anhor.uz
- In February 2020, 81 trees were cut on Yunus Rajabi street, 70 of them authorised by the district hokimiyat. Anhor.uz
- In 2024 the ministry recorded 1,098 cases of what it classes as illegal felling of valuable species and counted 634,271 trees as saved. Government of Uzbekistan (Ecology)
- 174 of my trees were felled.Babur and Nukus streets, night of 25 October 2025 (ministry inspectorate count).
- 58 of my trees were felled.Chilanzar.
- 81 of my trees were felled.Yunus Rajabi street; 70 authorised by the district hokimiyat.
- Government and regulators Ministry of Ecology, State Environmental Supervision Inspectorate: 174 trees and shrubs were cut along Nukus and Babur streets; damage 1,460,952,000 soums; protocols drawn up and materials sent to the prosecutor's office. An earlier preliminary figure was 144 junipers and 620,472,000 soums. Anhor.uz
- Government and regulators Tashkent city hokimiyat: The removal was landscaping work; about 145 junipers were sick and drying out and were to have been transplanted, but responsible persons violated the established rules. Anhor.uz
- Government and regulators Rasul Kusherbaev, adviser, Ministry of Ecology: The moratorium on tree felling is being systematically violated; living trees are cut and money is then allocated from the budget for new plantings. Anhor.uz
- Press and investigations Zamin.uz, citing witnesses: The felling was ordered by a district deputy khokim; Zamin.uz noted this is not confirmed. Zamin.uz
Uzbekistan's moratorium on felling valuable trees outside the state forest fund was made indefinite in 2022, with five-fold fines and doubled damage compensation. In Tashkent the ministry assessed damage of 1.46 billion soums for the Babur Street felling of October 2025, and prosecutors opened or brought cases under the Criminal Code over earlier fellings in 2020, 2022 and 2023.
Ministry's State Environmental Supervision Inspectorate; 174 trees and shrubs counted. An earlier preliminary figure was 620,472,000 soums for 144 junipers.
Status As of October 2025: the ministry's inspectorate assessed damage of 1.46 billion soums for the Babur Street felling and sent materials to the prosecutor's office; no charge is reported.
- Informants — 1 BCU (330 thousand soums) per confirmed violation, paid from the offender's money Kun.uz
- Two people charged in the Yunus Rajabi case — Paid 1.8913 billion soums in damage during the investigation Anhor.uz
- Trees in Tashkent — 174 trees and shrubs on Babur and Nukus streets (2025); 58 in Chilanzar (2022); 81 on Yunus Rajabi street (2020) Anhor.uz
What happened
A presidential decree "On measures to accelerate greening work and further effective organisation of tree protection in the republic" (reported by Kun.uz on 3 January 2022; the decree number was not given) extended the moratorium on felling valuable trees and shrubs outside the state forest fund indefinitely. Fines were raised five-fold and damage compensation doubled; contractors who break the rules drop one level in the "Transparent Construction" rating; new buildings over 12 m or 500 sq m must keep at least 25% of the plot green; and government and hokim orders to fell valuable trees are banned. In July 2023 informants were to receive 1 BCU (330 thousand soums) for each confirmed violation, paid from the offender's money.
The Ministry of Ecology reported for 2024 that 634,271 trees were "saved" (142,135 valuable and 492,136 less valuable) and that 1,098 cases of illegal felling of valuable species were recorded, using the ministry's own category wording; the summary gives no figures for fines, compensation collected or criminal cases. In December 2023 the ministry limited the powers of the Tashkent city ecology department until 1 February 2024 because "the moratorium requirements are not being fully observed in the capital" and permits "have repeatedly been issued without observing the law" (translated from Russian); the department head was suspended and permits issued in 2021–2023 were reviewed. The Tashkent prosecutor opened a criminal case under Criminal Code Art. 198 part 2 and Art. 229 over an oak moved from Yunusabad by the company Max Processing.
Earlier cases, as reported by Anhor.uz: in February 2020, 81 trees were cut on Yunus Rajabi street in Yakkasaray, 70 of them authorised by the district hokimiyat. The Tashkent prosecutor charged deputy district hokim A. Sattarov under Art. 205 part 2 "a" (abuse of power causing especially large damage) and the head of Building And Supplies LLC, A. Kodirov, under Art. 198 part 2; together they paid 1.8913 billion soums in damage during the investigation, with bail set at 53 million and 55.7 million soums, and no verdict was reported. In 2022, according to Anhor.uz, the company Dream House Stroy LLC cut 58 trees on a 0.20 ha plot it owned in Chilanzar, after inspectors had inventoried them and the company had promised in writing not to cut them; damage was put at about 797.7 million soums and the Chilanzar district prosecutor opened a criminal case under Art. 198 part 3.
On the night of 25 October 2025, trees and shrubs were cut along Nukus and Babur streets in Yakkasaray. The ministry's State Environmental Supervision Inspectorate counted 174 trees and shrubs, put the damage at 1 billion 460 million 952 thousand soums, drew up protocols and sent all materials to the prosecutor's office; an earlier preliminary figure was 144 junipers and 620,472,000 soums. The Tashkent city hokimiyat called the removal part of landscaping work, said about 145 junipers on the site were sick and drying out and that "Originally, they were to be transplanted, but responsible persons violated the established rules" (translated from Russian), and opened an internal review; replanting of 83 pyramidal elms and over 62,000 ornamental shrubs was planned. Witnesses quoted by Zamin.uz said the felling was ordered by a district deputy khokim; Zamin.uz noted this is not confirmed.
Ministry of Ecology adviser Rasul Kusherbaev said on 26 October 2025 (translated from Russian): "They cut down living trees, then money is allocated from the budget for new plantings." and "Today, the main enemy of ecology is the authorities themselves." As linked context, a World Bank assessment of Tashkent's air quality (9 October 2024) found annual average PM2.5 over six times the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³ and put the health cost of PM2.5 at 0.7% of Uzbekistan's GDP.
- 202081 trees cut on Yunus Rajabi street, Yakkasaray; criminal case, damage of 1.8913 bn soums repaid during the investigation (Feb)
- 2022Moratorium made indefinite (reported 3 Jan); 58 trees cut in Chilanzar, criminal case opened (7 Sep)
- 2023Five-fold fines and informant reward (31 Jul); Tashkent city ecology department's powers limited, criminal case over an oak moved by Max Processing (Dec)
- 2024Ministry records 634,271 trees "saved" and 1,098 cases of what it calls illegal felling of valuable species (figures published 4 Mar 2025); World Bank Tashkent air quality assessment (9 Oct)
- 2025174 trees and shrubs cut on Nukus and Babur streets (night of 25 Oct); damage put at 1.46 bn soums; materials sent to the prosecutor's office
What was said
“They cut down living trees, then money is allocated from the budget for new plantings.”
“Today, the main enemy of ecology is the authorities themselves.”
“The public must know that the moratorium on tree felling is being systematically violated.”
“If the authorities themselves violate the law, it loses trust in society”
“Originally, they were to be transplanted, but responsible persons violated the established rules”
“the moratorium requirements are not being fully observed in the capital”
Where accounts differ
Each party's account, side by side, with its source. The record does not settle these points; it shows them.
174 trees and shrubs were cut along Nukus and Babur streets; damage 1,460,952,000 soums; protocols drawn up and materials sent to the prosecutor's office. An earlier preliminary figure was 144 junipers and 620,472,000 soums.
Anhor.uzThe removal was landscaping work; about 145 junipers were sick and drying out and were to have been transplanted, but responsible persons violated the established rules.
Anhor.uzThe moratorium on tree felling is being systematically violated; living trees are cut and money is then allocated from the budget for new plantings.
Anhor.uzThe felling was ordered by a district deputy khokim; Zamin.uz noted this is not confirmed.
Zamin.uzHow it looked
Shown
- The removal at Babur Street was part of landscaping workTashkent city hokimiyat, 27 October 2025 · Anhor.uz
- 634,271 trees saved in 2024Ministry of Ecology, 4 March 2025 · Government of Uzbekistan (Ecology)
Recorded
- The ministry's inspectorate counted 174 trees and shrubs cut on Nukus and Babur streets and put the damage at 1,460,952,000 soums (October 2025).
- Criminal cases: Yunus Rajabi street 2020 (two people charged; no verdict reported), Chilanzar 2022 (opened), Max Processing oak 2023 (opened), Babur Street 2025 (materials sent to the prosecutor; no charge reported).
- The ministry's 2024 summary gives no fines, compensation collected or criminal-case figures.
- World Bank: annual average PM2.5 in Tashkent over six times the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³; source shares heating 28%, transport 16%, industry 13% and windblown dust 36%.
- Kun.uz reported the same World Bank study as $488.4 million a year in health costs and about 3,000 premature deaths a year.
Who gained
Reached nature or the ground
Gained elsewhere
Responses on record
- tashkent-hokimiyat (2025-10-27): The removal was part of landscaping work; about 145 junipers were sick and drying out; responsible persons violated the rules for transplanting; an internal review was opened. · Anhor.uz
In court and with insurers
Lawsuits and rulings
- 2020–Outcome not on recordUZS 1.89bn damage repaid during the investigationYunus Rajabi street felling, YakkasarayTashkent prosecutor's office · Criminal · Tashkent prosecutor → A. Sattarov, deputy district hokim (charged under Art. 205 part 2 "a"); A. Kodirov, head of Building And Supplies LLC (charged under Art. 198 part 2)
Eighty-one trees were cut in February 2020, 70 of them authorised by the district hokimiyat. The two people charged together paid 1.8913 billion soums in damage during the investigation; bail was 53 million and 55.7 million soums. No verdict was reported. Anhor.uz
- 2022–OngoingUZS 797.7m damage, aboutChilanzar felling, 2022Chilanzar district prosecutor's office · Criminal · Chilanzar district prosecutor → Dream House Stroy LLC (criminal case opened under Criminal Code Art. 198 part 3; no charge reported)
Fifty-eight trees were cut on a 0.20 ha plot the company owned, after inspectors had inventoried them and the company had promised in writing not to cut them. Administrative protocols were drawn up under Arts. 197-6 and 198 of the Code of Administrative Responsibility. Anhor.uz
- 2023–OngoingOak moved from Yunusabad by Max ProcessingTashkent prosecutor's office · Criminal · Tashkent prosecutor → Not stated; the case concerns an oak moved from Yunusabad by the company Max Processing
Criminal case opened under Criminal Code Art. 198 part 2 and Art. 229, reported in December 2023 alongside the limiting of the Tashkent city ecology department's powers. Anhor.uz
- 2025–OngoingUZS 1.46bn damage assessedBabur Street felling, 2025State Environmental Supervision Inspectorate; Tashkent prosecutor's office · Administrative · State Environmental Supervision Inspectorate, Ministry of Ecology → Not stated
Protocols were drawn up and all materials sent to the prosecutor's office; no charge is reported. Anhor.uz
Insurers
What nature saw
Nature's report opens this page. Below: further outcomes measured on the ground.
What we don't know
Nature
- Disputed The Babur Street felling of October 2025
Court
- Unclear Yunus Rajabi street felling, Yakkasaray: outcome not on record.
Record
- Disputed Disputed: the Babur Street felling. The ministry counted 174 trees and shrubs and assessed damage of 1,460,952,000 soums, an earlier figure was 144 junipers and 620,472,000 soums, and the hokimiyat called it landscaping and said about 145 junipers were sick and drying out.
- Unclear Unclear: who ordered the Babur Street felling; witnesses quoted by Zamin.uz named a district deputy khokim, and Zamin.uz noted this is not confirmed.
- Not disclosed Not disclosed: fines, compensation collected and criminal-case figures in the ministry's 2024 summary, and fine figures in the Anhor.uz article of 26 October 2025.
- None on record None on record: a national or Tashkent total of trees (full inventory).
- Not disclosed Not disclosed: the number of the January 2022 decree in the Kun.uz article.
- Unclear Unclear: the outcome of the Yunus Rajabi street, Chilanzar, Max Processing and Babur Street cases; no verdict or charge is reported for the last three.
- Insufficient Insufficient: the World Bank page gives no absolute PM2.5 value or death count; those figures come from press reports of the full report.
Did the harm stop?
Not stated. The moratorium is in force; the Tashkent city ecology department's powers were limited from 30 December 2023 to 1 February 2024.
Who paid?
Damage assessments are claims against those who cut: 1.8913 billion soums was repaid during the Yunus Rajabi investigation; Babur Street damage of 1,460,952,000 soums was assessed by the ministry; payment is not reported. Replanting is funded from the budget, according to a ministry adviser.
Sources
Government and regulators
- In 2024 felling of more than 600 thousand trees was prevented (in Russian)Government of Uzbekistan (Ecology) · 2025-03-04
Press and investigations
- Criminal case against those who cut down a grove; damage repaid (in Russian)Anhor.uz · 2020-02-23
- Tree-felling moratorium becomes indefinite (in Russian)Kun.uz · 2022-01-03
- 58 trees cut in Tashkent: damage almost 800 m soums (in Russian)Anhor.uz · 2022-09-07
- Administrative fine for illegal logging to rise by 5 timesKun.uz · 2023-07-31
- Tashkent hokimiyat explains felling of 144 trees as "greening" (in Russian)Anhor.uz · 2025-10-27
- An investigation has begun into the mass felling of trees in the capitalZamin.uz · 2025-10-26
International bodies
- Air Quality Assessment for TashkentWorld Bank · 2024-10-09
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