STATEMENT regarding the false report of political scientist Alisher Ilkhamov’s death and the unauthorized assignment of "memorialized status" to his Facebook account

 

A "Remembering" notification appeared on Alisher Ilkhamov’s Facebook page, and a section was opened inviting friends and relatives to share memories and pay tribute to him. As a result, users of the social network were presented with false information regarding Alisher Ilkhamov’s death.

Alisher Ilkhamov is alive, and the information about his death is untrue. The appearance of this notification caused serious alarm among his relatives, friends, and colleagues, and led to the spread of misinformation.

It is currently unknown whether the unauthorized assignment of memorialized status resulted from an account hack, the submission of false information to Facebook, or some other form of unauthorized interference. Until the investigation is complete, it is impossible to state with certainty exactly how this occurred.

At the same time, there are serious grounds to view this incident as a potential act of targeted digital harassment, intimidation, and interference with the public activities of political scientist Alisher Ilkhamov. The context of recent events is particularly concerning: his Facebook account was initially blocked in April 2026 due to an alleged "copyright violation" (in reality, because he had posted links to materials created in Uzbekistan and commented on their content); access to the page was not restored until early August 2026. However, on August 27, he lost access to his Facebook page again - this time because his account had been mistakenly assigned the aforementioned "memorialized status."

Under these circumstances, the false report of his death not only affects Alisher Ilkhamov’s dignity and professional reputation but also raises legitimate concerns for his safety. Such a message is perceived as a form of psychological pressure and a symbolic threat directed at a public critic.

This incident points to the emergence of a new form of digital pressure exerted on independent experts and critics of the authoritarian regime in Uzbekistan. Alisher Ilkhamov’s professional assessments of the situation in this country are trusted by international experts, journalists, and the public interested in political processes and the human rights situation in Central Asia.

Pending the full clarification of the circumstances surrounding the incident, we refrain from making assertions regarding the identity or motives of the potential organizers. However, the dissemination of false information about a public figure's death via Facebook cannot be dismissed as a harmless technical error. This incident demands an urgent and thorough investigation.