Swiss Court Dismisses Karimova Charges

A Swiss federal court dismissed corruption and money laundering charges against Gulnara Karimova, the eldest daughter of Uzbekistan's late president Islam Karimov, on the first day of her trial in absentia on April 28 in Bellinzona. The ruling came after Uzbek authorities refused to allow her participation while she serves a prison sentence in her home country.

The Federal Criminal Court cited Karimova's inability to attend as a permanent procedural obstacle. Court officers had traveled to Uzbekistan to discuss her appearance, but the Uzbek Supreme Court rejected the request earlier this year. Karimova, 53, is detained in a penal colony near Tashkent and is not eligible for release until December 2028, by which time Switzerland's statute of limitations on the charges would expire. A second Uzbek defendant, residing in Russia, also saw his case dismissed for similar travel issues amid suspended direct flights due to the Ukraine conflict.

Proceedings continue against a former asset manager at the Swiss private bank Lombard Odier and the bank itself. Prosecutors allege the charges against them involve organizational shortcomings in anti-money laundering prevention measures, not...