Libel trial opens over BBC claim that Uzbek president's daughter controlled a company

Mohamed Amersi's libel trial against the BBC opened in London on 28 October 2026. The BBC alleges that Gulnara Karimova, daughter of Uzbekistan's president, was the real owner of Takilant, meaning who ultimately controlled it. Takilant, a Gibraltar company, received a $220m payment in January 2010. The BBC is defending the claim on grounds of truth and public interest.