Tashkent’s Chilanzar district criminal court ruled a man who harassed a female passenger in the subway car for a 5-day administrative arrest. This information was confirmed by the spokesman of the Supreme Court, Aziz Abidov.
On May 10, a 24-year-old native of the Khorezm province, Jamshidbek Shamuratov, in a subway car, “began to touch the back and lower a minor girl unknown to him.” The girl reported this to the station’s policemen. The offender was reportedly arrested.
At the hearing, the man admitted his guilt, stated that he was sorry for what he had done, and asked the court to mitigate his punishment. The victim, in turn, asked the court to impose a more severe punishment.
Police qualified Shamuratov's actions as petty hooliganism which entails a fine of 3 to 5 Basic settlement units (1 BSU=30 USD) or administrative arrest of up to 15 days).
However, Judge Zh. Kurbanov reclassified it to Sexual harassment, which is punishable with a fine of 2 to 5 BBSUs or administrative arrest for up to 5 days, as more suitable for the offense.
At a meeting on May 12, the court sentenced the guilty person to a 5-day arrest.
This has been one of the first court rulings in accordance with the new amendments to the legislation to protect women and children from violence.
