On May 8, the Tashkent City Economic Court upheld Uzbektelecom’s claim against Humans — issuing a ruling to recover over 520 billion soums in debt for services. Humans appealed this ruling.
Debt details:
- Principal debt: 497 billion soums
- Penalty: 23.5 billion soums (initially 223 billion soums were requested)
- Total: over 520 billion soums
Following the court ruling, Humans’ international investor — Humans Mobile Ltd. (Singapore) filed a claim against Uzbekistan in the ICSID arbitration court under the World Bank. The arbitration case is currently “under consideration” (ICSID Case No. ARB/25/24).
The lawsuit was filed under the Investment Protection Agreement between Uzbekistan and Singapore. Humans claims that the actions of state authorities have harmed its business.
The restrictions imposed on the Moroccan payment organization also caused this dispute:
- In September 2024, the Central Bank temporarily restricted the UPay brand.
- In October 2024, the license was suspended.
- In March 2025, some restrictions were lifted.
Humans’ statement:
“We are supporters of the rule of law and transparency. Arbitration is a cultural way to protect the rights of entrepreneurs from dishonest administration,” said Vladimir Dobrynin, founder of Humans Group.
Uzbektelecom’s response:
- Humans did not build its own network, but uses the Uzbektelecom infrastructure.
- The company has been systematically delaying payment for services.
- Uzbektelecom denied that it was exerting pressure through its monopoly position.
The company added that it reserves the right to take legal action if false or misleading information is disseminated.
