{
  "id": 17751036,
  "title": "Retrial to begin next week for Uzbek national convicted of murder, robbery 16 yrs ago",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/retrial-to-begin-next-week-for-uzbek-national-convicted-of-murder",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-02T05:42:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/law-crime/20261102/retrial-to-begin-next-week-for-uzbek-national-convicted-of-murder-robbery-16-yrs-ago"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A retrial for an Uzbek national convicted of murder and robbery in 2009 will commence next week, according to legal sources. Bozorov Akmal, 37, faces a hearing at the Changwon District Court on November 12, beginning at 11 a.m. The Supreme Court handed down the life sentence in 2010 after Akmal was accused of killing and robbing a 50-something taxi driver in Changwon in March of that year.\n\nAkmal's defense team filed a second retrial petition in January after their initial request was denied in 2015. Defense attorney Park Jun-young highlighted several discrepancies in the initial investigation, including forensic reports on the victim's injuries, taxi routes, National Forensic Service records, phone logs, and statements about the weapon used. He also alleged physical abuse and intimidation by law enforcement. On October 15, the court agreed to reopen Akmal's case and temporarily halted his prison sentence.",
  "summary": "A court will open a retrial next week for an Uzbek national who was sentenced to life in prison 16 years ago for killing and robbing a taxi driver in 2009, legal sources said Monday. According to the sources, the first hearing of the retrial for Bozorov Akmal, 37, will begin at 11 a.m. on Nov. 12 at the Changwon District Court in Changwon, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul. The Supreme…",
  "key_points": [
    "Retrial for Uzbek national Bozorov Akmal begins November 12",
    "Akmal convicted of 2009 murder and robbery in Changwon",
    "Defense cites investigation discrepancies and abuse allegations"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The reopening of this decades-old case signals a judicial willingness to re-examine long-standing convictions when defense teams present significant discrepancies regarding original forensic evidence and law enforcement conduct.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "Retrial to begin next week for Uzbek national convicted of murder, robbery 16 yrs ago",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/retrial-to-begin-next-week-for-uzbek-national-convicted-of-murder-17754092",
        "published": "2026-11-02T05:03:06.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}