Two months after surviving an assassination attempt, Komil Allamjonov, the former press secretary to Uzbekistan’s president, finds himself embroiled in dangerous international intrigue. Last October, gunmen attempted to assassinate Allamjonov, riddling his vehicle with bullets as he drove to his home in Tashkent. The ongoing Uzbek investigation has revealed a tangled web involving alleged Chechen hitmen, high-ranking Uzbek officials, and a manhunt stretching as far as South Korea.
On December 26, the situation escalated dramatically. Ramzan Kadyrov, the U.S.-sanctioned strongman leader of Chechnya and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, issued a public threat directed at Allamjonov and a senior Uzbek official. Uzbek authorities had earlier identified two Russian nationals with Chechen ties, Bislan Rasaev and Shamil Temirhanov, as suspects in the attempt on Allamjonov’s life. In a Telegram post the day after Christmas, Kadyrov accused Allamjonov and his associates of attempting to undermine Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s administration.
“Whatever you are planning, it is better to stop in time, otherwise you will have to answer for all the intrigues, slander, and speculation,” Kadyrov warned. “And now I am talking about the answer according to our traditions.”
In his Telegram post, Kadyrov also boasted of his efficiency in such matters: “If I had prepared it, I would have completed the matter that very day.”
Kadyrov’s comments were met with swift condemnation from prominent Uzbeks. Odiljon Tojiyev, a deputy in Uzbekistan’s Legislative Chamber, denounced the threats and urged Russia’s Prosecutor General to investigate. “Kadyrov should issue a public apology to the people of Uzbekistan,” Tojiyev demanded, adding that if Kadyrov truly considered himself a friend of Uzbekistan, he would assist in locating and extraditing Rasaev and Temirhanov.
Rasul Kusherbayev, a former deputy and advisor to Uzbekistan’s Minister of Ecology, described Kadyrov’s statements as an act of terrorism. He has since called for upgraded entry checks on Chechens entering Uzbekistan and suspending flights from the country to Grozny, capital of Chechnya.
The assassination attempt and subsequent fallout have shaken Uzbekistan’s government to its core. Allamjonov, now under heavy security in Tashkent, was formerly a trusted ally of President Mirziyoyev and remains a prominent figure in Uzbek politics. The investigation has exposed unexpected links between the suspects and individuals with connections to the Uzbek elite.
After the attack, two suspects fled to a nightclub called “Seoul,” located near Uzbekistan’s border with Kyrgyzstan and owned by the daughters of the late Vitaly Fen, who served as Uzbekistan’s ambassador to South Korea from 1995 to 2013. They were apprehended shortly thereafter, but another suspect, Javlon Yunusov, the common-law husband of one of the club owners, managed to flee to South Korea before being extradited back to Uzbekistan.
The incident has also led to significant political fallout. Under mounting public pressure, President Mirziyoyev dismissed the head of the state security service and several other high-ranking officials. Among those implicated in the intrigue is Otabek Umarov, the husband of the president’s youngest daughter and a known political rival of Allamjonov.
The situation threatens to evolve into a broader regional crisis involving Uzbekistan, Chechnya, and Russia. Kadyrov’s direct intervention—combined with the connections between the suspects and Uzbek elites—raises serious questions about the nature of alliances and power struggles within the region.
As Uzbekistan moves forward with its investigation, the international community will be watching closely. Whether justice will prevail in this increasingly complex saga remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: Komil Allamjonov’s survival may be just the beginning of a much larger fight.
Gregory Tosi, a former congressional aide, is an attorney practicing international trade law in developing countries.
