Kariev Sardor Hikmatovich

Kariev Sardor Hikmatovich

Biography

2024: Sentence - 18 years in prison in case of death of dozens of children from Indian cough syrups

On February 26, 2024, the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan announced the sentencing of the defendants in the case of the low-quality Indian cough drug Dok-1 Max, due to which almost 70 children died in the country. Former head of the Agency for the Development of the Pharmaceutical Industry of Uzbekistan Sardor Kariev received 18 years in prison.

In December 2022, the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan announced the death of children after taking ARVI syrup "Dok-1 Max" from the Indian company Marion Biotech. A toxic substance, ethylene glycol, was found in this drug. First, the death of 18 children in Uzbekistan was reported, and then the number of victims increased to 68. A criminal case has been opened on the fact of the mass death of minors, and all Marion Biotech drugs, including Dok-1 Max, Tsinepar Kid, Travamax and Ambronol, have been withdrawn from sale.

According to Interfax, 23 people were in the dock. In accordance with the court's decision, the director of the Indian company Quramax Medical, Ragvendra Pratar, an importer of syrup in Uzbekistan, received 20 years in prison. Two of Kariyev's deputies were sentenced to 16 years in prison.

The court found all 23 accused guilty and sentenced them to imprisonment for up to 20 years, the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan said in a statement.

The defendants, as noted, were found guilty under 12 articles, including "complicity in a crime," "preparation for a crime and attempted crime," "abuse of power or office," "official negligence," as well as "giving and receiving a bribe." It is also noted that Marion is among three Indian companies whose cough syrups are linked by the World Health Organization (WHO) to the deaths of more than 140 children in Uzbekistan, the Gambia and Cameroon.^[1]

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