The Senate passed amendments to the Code of Administrative liability at a plenary session on May 28. They toughen penalties for disobedience to law enforcement officers.
The Chairman of the Defense and Security Committee Kutbidin Burkhanov reported that recently in Uzbekistan there have been more frequent cases of failure to comply with the legal demands of employees of the police and units of the National Guard that ensure public order and security.
The number of administrative offenses related to failure to comply with the legal demands of police officers was:
- in 2021 - 56,474 cases;
- in 2022 - 88,401;
- in 2023 - 88,988;
- in 2024 - 85,278.
The amendments include among others an item raising the fine for failure to comply with the legal demands of officers of the police and the National Guard (Articles 194 and 194-1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses) increases from 1-12 times the basic calculation unit (from 375 thousand to 4.5 million soums) to 5-12 basic calculation units (from 1.87 million to 4.5 million soums), i.e. only the minimum fine is set to increase by 5 times.
For a repeated offense within a year after the application of an administrative penalty, the fine will be from 12 to 30 basic calculation units (currently from 4.5 million to 11.25 million soums) or 15-day administrative arrest (previously it was 12-15 basic calculation units), i.e. the maximum fine will increase by 2 times.
The legal demands of law enforcement officers include demands to:
- stop committing an offense;
- show IDs;
- going or appearing at a police station within the specified time;
- stop a vehicle;
- provide assistance to victims.
An offense is also deemed to be any other disobedience to the legal demands of a police officer, as well as failure to comply with the legal demands of other persons performing duties to protect public order and ensure the rights and freedoms of citizens.
Senator Aksavil Tumishova asked a question (the broadcast of her speech was partially cut off), what measures the Ministry of Internal Affairs intends to take to explain the essence of the amenments to the public.
Deputy Head of the Head Department of Patrol and Post Service and Protection of Public Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Zhamshid Zakirov said that the ministry had plans to step up outreach in the media with the help of social videos, interviews, articles and special programs, as well as to carry out preventive work in mahallas.
“At these meetings, citizens will be able to directly receive answers to their questions, which will create a trusting environment,” he added.
Zakirov also promised that the Ministry of Internal Affairs will publish official refutations more often to prevent the spread of false information.
