The Office of the Business Ombudsman has issued an official statement regarding the court proceedings surrounding the properties of Caravan Group, owned by entrepreneur Timur Musin. The Commissioner for the Protection of Rights and Legitimate Interests of Business Entities under the President intends to defend the company's property rights to the end in higher judicial instances.
Specifically, the statement refers to court cases seeking compensation of 12.5 billion soums, in which representatives of the Business Ombudsman participated. However, since the latest court decision on this case does not provide for compensation, work is currently underway to file a complaint with the supervisory instance of the Supreme Court.
Additionally, based on the Business Ombudsman's cassation appeal, the Tashkent Regional Administrative Court terminated proceedings regarding the invalidation of cadastral documents. A complaint is now being prepared in supervisory order regarding the invalidation of the khokim's decisions.
“The Business Ombudsman's office states its firm position in protecting the entrepreneur's property rights and its readiness to provide assistance in court proceedings to the end,” the statement reads.
Timur Musin is a restaurateur with 25 years of experience, founder of Caravan Group, and head of the Restaurant Association of Uzbekistan. Since 1999, he has developed a network of up to 15 projects, including Caravan, Chelsea Arms, Sato, Izumi, and Gruzinskiy Dvorik. The business has repeatedly faced difficulties: properties were put up for auction, some projects closed or were sold. In 2019-2020, due to debts, Chelsea Arms, Cinara's, Sato, and Gruzinskiy Dvorik were sold or auctioned. In 2021, Sato and Izumi closed.
The dispute around the Chinaras restaurant complex has been ongoing for several years and involves the seizure of 0.7 hectares of land from Creative Studio Karavan (Caravan Group) for the reconstruction of the Chirchik-Gazalkent-Charvak road. The conflict has been accompanied by inspections and court proceedings: in 2023, the court awarded the company 12.5 billion soums in compensation, then the decision was overturned, reinstated, and sent back for review. The case is currently being re-examined in economic courts, while disputes over the legality of property rights continue.
In a separate instance, the company reported problems implementing a tourism project: after 4 hectares of land were seized, it was allocated 8 hectares of other, inconvenient land, followed by new disputes and permit delays. In 2025, the court canceled the company's cadastral documents for the property.
The Business Ombudsman, defending the entrepreneur, filed complaints with higher instances, citing violation of property rights and the impossibility of reviewing decisions made in 2010. The entrepreneur estimated total damages from land and asset seizures at $50 million.
Amid the protracted legal dispute and administrative pressure, Caravan Group founder Timur Musin announced the sale of several well-known network properties: Plov Museum (50 billion soums), Cinara's (99 billion soums), and Caravan restaurant (45 billion soums). Their total value is estimated at 294 billion soums ($24.4 million). Other business properties of Musin have also been listed on the development.uz platform.
In an interview with Gazeta, the restaurateur explained the decision by the inability to protect investments and the inefficiency of the existing judicial system, calling the situation “legal raiding.” In an interview with Spot, Timur Musin said he does not expect a quick sale of all projects given the complex business environment. According to him, the asset prices are “absolutely reasonable.”
“Despite the absolutely reasonable price ($2,000 per square meter — this is the market price for central Tashkent), there are not many willing to invest in such conditions. But I will continue my activities in the field I trust and have experience in,” he said. The entrepreneur noted that there is interest in the properties, but it is limited.
“There is interest in the projects — calls are coming in, but for now it's more at the level of simple curiosity. In the current conditions, it's difficult to sell everything because investors are cautious: if the legal environment is unstable, any investment becomes high-risk,” Musin said.
According to the restaurateur, government agencies have also become more active in responding to the situation. “I am very glad that not only the Business Ombudsman, who has always supported me, but also the Chamber of Manufacturers and Entrepreneurs is paying attention to this issue. Today many called and asked what help is needed. I see that today's Uzbek officials are not only thinking about restricting business but are also ready to develop and help it,” he said.
However, the Caravan Group founder stressed that this is not enough to solve systemic problems. “But the root of the problem is in the judicial system. It is here that business must defend its rights, but illegal decisions remain the main obstacle to normal operation. The problem is also in the mindset of judges — they see themselves not as independent, but as civil servants who can receive instructions,” he said.
Speaking about the reasons for the escalation, Musin linked it to the mismatch between reforms and their actual implementation. “Why is this happening right now? I assess this situation not as a 'point of no return,' but as a stage where risks have become obvious. On one hand, the president is promoting 'New Uzbekistan' reforms, on the other, elements of the old system persist. As a result, a crisis of trust arises between state strategy and existing legal practice,” he said.
In his view, such conditions make business development difficult. “Under such conditions, business development is becoming dangerous. Where private property and investor interests are not protected, investing and developing is almost impossible,” the entrepreneur emphasized.
Source: www.gazeta.uz