Swiss judges dismiss Karimova case, stalling wider probe into Lombard Odier bank

28 April 2026 , 22:46

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Swiss judges dismiss Karimova case, stalling wider probe into Lombard Odier bank

A court in Switzerland has dismissed money laundering proceedings against a daughter of the former president of Uzbekistan, complicating a wider corruption probe involving private bank Lombard Odier.

Gulnara Karimova, daughter of the late Uzbek leader Islam Karimov, was accused by Swiss prosecutors of orchestrating a vast bribery scheme that channeled hundreds of millions of dollars through Swiss accounts between 2005 and 2013.

However, the Swiss Federal Criminal Court on Tuesday dismissed the case against Karimova because it would not be able to reach a judgment before the statute of limitations starts to expire in 2028.

The court said proceedings against Karimova were dismissed due to a “persistent impediment”, with the case continuing against the bank and its former employee.

The court cited Karimova’s detention in Uzbekistan, where she has been imprisoned for more than a decade, and her inability to attend proceedings in Switzerland.

Karimova, Lombard Odier and an unnamed former employee of the Geneva-based private bank were all accused as part of a broader money-laundering case being pursued in the Federal Criminal Court.

Karimova was handed a 10-year sentence in Uzbekistan in 2015 after she was found guilty of corruption and tax evasion. She was sentenced to a further 13 years after a second court found her guilty of embezzlement and extortion.

Grégoire Mangeat, her lawyer, said the dismissal by the Federal Criminal Court amounted to “an acquittal under Swiss law”, adding that the court had identified a “lasting impediment” to the continuation of proceedings.

Although the ruling relates specifically to the Karimova case, lawyers said it highlighted the difficulties Swiss authorities faced as they sought to pursue often complex international cases.

While the criminal case against Karimova has been discontinued, Swiss authorities are still pursuing separate proceedings to determine what happens to the assets linked to her.

Emma Davis

Deputy Editor