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Kakhramon Olimov, a shareholder of Uzbekistan’s Anorbank, has publicly denied charges of kidnapping that prompted Uzbekistan to seek his arrest through an Interpol red notice, insisting that he was the victim of an abduction, not its perpetrator. The statement, published by his French law firm Fedida Associes, marks the first time Olimov has directly addressed the allegations in detail.
“For the past eighteen months, my family and I have been subjected to a series of attacks that I consider criminal and unlawful,” Olimov said in the statement. “I am making this declaration to refute disinformation and set out the true picture of events.”
A Kidnapping in Paris — and a Counter-Accusation
Olimov says he was abducted in Paris on 24 June 2025, held and tortured for two days, and forced to pay a ransom before being released. Earlier reporting had placed his alleged detention in the basement of a mansion near Nice. According to his statement, a French police investigation led to the detention of five people who remain in pre-trial custody, with two others under judicial supervision. French prosecutors are preparing criminal charges against them; Olimov says all bail applications have been rejected given the gravity of the alleged offences.
Against that backdrop, he describes Uzbekistan’s subsequent Interpol red notice as “the latest provocation” — an accusation of kidnapping levelled at the man who claims to have been kidnapped. He says he categorically denies the charges and is contesting them through the courts.
The Red Notice and Its Disappearance
Reporting by The Insider in September 2026, citing a source close to Olimov’s circle, said he had been arrested in absentia and placed on a wanted list under part two of Article 137 of Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code — a provision carrying five to ten years’ imprisonment for kidnapping. Uzbek law-enforcement agencies did not officially confirm that information.
A red notice bearing Olimov’s name, date and place of birth, citizenship, and a case category linked to kidnapping and unlawful deprivation of liberty appeared on Interpol’s public database on 24 September. By 14 October the listing had been removed. Interpol offered no comment on the change.
Bank Unaffected, Shareholder Steps Down
Anorbank said the situation surrounding Olimov has had no effect on the bank’s capital, governance or day-to-day operations. Uzbekistan’s Central Bank confirmed the institution is functioning normally and meeting its obligations to customers. As of 1 September 2026, the bank’s assets stood at 21.4 trillion soums.
On 2 October, Olimov submitted his resignation from Anorbank’s supervisory board. A shareholder meeting scheduled for 28 October is expected to take a final decision on his departure.
In his statement, Olimov expressed confidence in both the French and Uzbek judicial systems, while arguing that the actions taken against him damage Uzbekistan’s international reputation and contradict President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s stated vision of a law-governed state open to domestic and foreign investors. Fedida Associes, the Paris firm that published the statement, was founded in 1996 by Jean-Marc Fedida and specialises in criminal defence, including economic crime cases.