Uzbekistan Protests Video Insulting Taxi Driver as Slave with Diplomatic Note to Russia

Uzbekistan has issued a formal diplomatic note to Russia regarding a viral video that depicts an individual verbally assaulting an Uzbek taxi driver in a suburb of Moscow.

In the footage, which spread on social media last week, a man can be heard shouting derogatory remarks such as, “You’re a slave to Russians,” and “You’re not at home; you’ve come to work, so do your job,” directed at a driver in Khimki, located just north of Moscow.

Uzbekistan’s Foreign Ministry has urged Russian law enforcement to identify the individual in the video and take appropriate legal action.

“An investigation is currently underway into this case, which has provoked significant public outrage,” stated ministry spokesperson Akhror Burkhanov in a video message on Tuesday.

He also mentioned that Uzbekistan’s Foreign Ministry “diligently monitors information being shared on social media and in the press, and collaborates with the relevant authorities of other countries.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, Russian officials have yet to publicly respond to the incident.

This diplomatic note marks Uzbekistan’s second formal representation since June, when it expressed concern over what it described as “unauthorized inspections and instances of disrespectful and rude treatment” of its citizens in Russia.

Other neighboring countries, including Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, have also submitted similar diplomatic notes this year, denouncing the mass detentions of their nationals.

Following a deadly attack at a concert hall near Moscow in March 2024, which was claimed by the Islamic State, Russia has tightened its immigration policies. Several Tajik nationals were subsequently apprehended in connection with the shooting.