During its session on April 7, the MPs of the Legislative Chamber passed in the first reading of a bill designed to overhaul Uzbekistan’s framework for countering extremism.
Proposed Changes
The bill seeks to codify a definitive list of extremist offenses within the legal system, including:
- Article 156 of the Criminal Code: Incitement of national, racial, ethnic, or religious hatred;
- Article 159: Attempts to undermine the constitutional order of the Republic of Uzbekistan;
- Article 244 (Parts 1, 2, and 4): Organizing or participating in mass unrest;
- Article 244-1: The production, storage, distribution, or public display of materials posing a threat to public safety and order;
- Article 244-2: The creation, leadership, or membership in religious extremist, separatist, fundamentalist, or other prohibited organizations.
Furthermore, the document introduces several key mechanisms, including:
- Legal Procedures for Proscription: Establishing clear frameworks for designating organizations and "informal structures" as extremist.
- Whistleblower Protection: Implementing measures to incentivize and protect individuals who report extremist offenses.
- Post-Conviction Restrictions: Defining specific limitations for individuals who have committed extremist crimes.
- Social Rehabilitation and Deradicalization: Deploying tools for the social reintegration of offenders and the correction of radical ideologies.
- Corporate Accountability: Granting the authority to suspend the operations of legal entities found to have links to extremist activities.
- Content Classification: Creating a mechanism to formally designate specific organizational structures and information products (media/literature) as extremist.
In a notable shift, the bill also proposes a degree of liberalization regarding the punishments for certain violations, signaling a move toward more nuanced sentencing.
Specifically, the bill proposes introducing administrative rather than criminal liability for first-time offenders in certain categories. It also suggests granting immunity from prosecution to individuals who voluntarily report such violations and actively cooperate with law enforcement.
Differentiation of Penalties
Specific amendments address the liability for establishing, leading, or participating in "informal structures"—distinct from those already classified as extremist or otherwise prohibited organizations.
The document has been coordinated with the Supreme Court, the State Security Service, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Ministry of Justice. It was emphasized that the implementation of this law will not require any additional budgetary expenditures.
Following the deliberation, deputies approved the bill in its first reading. As the legislation moves toward a second reading, experts and specialists will be consulted to further refine the proposal based on submitted recommendations and feedback.
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