Indefinite prisoner released after 17 years with retrial for ‘taxi driver murder’ begins, “I can’t help but cry”

Akmal, Uzbek national, "I feel sorry for the victim's family during the trial... I want to resolve the injustice and go home."

(Changwon = Yonhap News) Reporter Jeong Jong-ho = Bozorov Akmal (37), an Uzbek citizen who was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a taxi driver in Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do in 2009, was released from prison for the first time in about 17 years after the court began a retrial and decided to suspend the execution of the sentence on the 15th.

Mr. Akmal, who escaped from Changwon Prison at around 6:35 pm on this day, cried and hugged his father, who had come to meet him at the prison's main gate.

Mr. Akmal said, “I have lived an unfair life so far, but on the other hand, I am truly sorry for the great harm it has caused to the victims’ families.” He added, “I will speak truthfully during the remaining trial process.”

This can be interpreted as a concern that the victim's family will have a difficult time recalling sad memories during the trial process that determines the start of the retrial.

Regarding this court decision, he said, "I just cried," and "I can't believe it's been so long since I've been outside."

He then emphasized, "I want to return to my hometown where my parents are as soon as possible after completing the (retrial) trial and clearing away all of my injustice," and added, "I am also grateful to attorney Park Joon-young for helping me."

Mr. Akmal's side will visit the victim's family that day, greet them, and then prepare for a full-scale retrial.

He received a final ruling from the Supreme Court the following year on charges of murdering a taxi driver in his 50s in Myeongseo-dong, Uichang-gu, Changwon-si in March 2009, and stealing money and valuables (robbery-murder).

He, who came to Korea as an international student, was arrested on suspicion of taxi robbery in Changwon in July 2009, and was designated as a suspect in the taxi robbery and murder case.

Afterwards, a request for retrial was dismissed, and in January of last year, a request for retrial was submitted to the court again through attorney Park Joon-young, who mainly handles retrial cases.

The court acknowledged that the police officers at the time deceived Mr. Akmal by saying that the defendant's DNA was detected at the crime scene or that the deceased victim was alive in order to induce a confession during the investigation, and decided that the right to an interpreter had been violated, and decided to start a retrial and suspend the execution of the sentence on the 15th.