Bukhara governor orders building demolition “with the people inside”

“Don’t talk about courts and paperwork – demolish it today. Bury it with the people and the property inside. Enough with pampering people in the name of law,” Zaripov says in the footage, while standing in what appears to be the territory of a kindergarten.

He further instructs officials to check the documentation of anyone who entered the area and to demolish any structures lacking legal authorization immediately. Directing his order at Momin Amonov, deputy mayor of Bukhara city, Zaripov adds, “You’ll demolish it today – no court, no nonsense.”

In the same tirade, the governor warns the regional police chief to either eliminate criminal conditions or be reassigned to a “quieter district,” saying, “I’ve already given the order – change must happen.”

Zaripov also declared his intention to discipline the deputy mayor present, stating that if social facilities in the city are not reviewed and corrected according to his instructions, the official would be held responsible. “Let this be a lesson to all deputy mayors,” he added.

While the exact date and location of the incident remain unclear, the Bukhara city deputy mayor for youth, social development, and ideological affairs, Feruz Hamroyev, told Kun.uz that the governor was referring to a warehouse-like building located outside the kindergarten’s boundaries.

However, when asked whether Zaripov’s shocking comment about “burying the people inside” applied to the warehouse, Hamroyev did not answer.

Following the public backlash, the Bukhara regional government issued a response – but rather than apologize or clarify the governor’s disturbing language, it attempted to downplay the incident.

According to the regional administration’s statement, the demolition order referred to an “unauthorized, illegal entry-exit passage” constructed from an adjacent catering business into the kindergarten territory without proper permits.

The governor’s team explained that during a May 22 inspection of Kindergarten No. 2 — a facility built in 1961 and currently under renovation – Zaripov noticed the unauthorized structure, along with safety issues like an unsecured high-voltage transformer. To address these concerns, the statement says, Zaripov had to “speak emotionally to emphasize accountability among some officials.”

“The phrase ‘bury it with the people inside’ referred to eliminating the illegal access point,” the statement reads. “The governor’s main objective was ensuring the safety of 140 kindergarten children and preventing potential hazards.”

Despite this attempt at justification, the press release fails to directly address or explain away the governor’s use of extreme language. Moreover, the claim that the statement was merely an emotional overreaction seems disconnected from the gravity of what was said – especially given the clear command to ignore legal procedures and the dehumanizing tone of the remark.

The statement insists that no order was ever given to demolish private kindergartens and that any such claims are baseless. It concludes by asserting that “no illegal demolitions will occur” in the region, and the rule of law will be upheld.

Still, the governor’s words, captured in the video, remain chilling:

“You’ll bring me the documents of everyone who entered the kindergarten. If there are none — demolish it, no questions asked. Today. With the people and items inside.”