In Uzbekistan, it is planned to amend the Criminal Code and the Administrative Liability Code, to include new penalties for begging. Street beggars may be found in public places in Uzbekistan, such as mosques, busy markets, parks and near tourist attractions.

The proposed draft law, containing new norms, is posted for consultation on the portal of legal documents.

The document proposes to insert Begging into the Criminal Code (currently this offence is regulated by Involvement of a Minor in Antisocial Behavior article).

According to the proposed addenda, engaging in begging, a practice of asking money or other items, after an administrative penalty previously applied for the same offence, could be punishable with up to three hundred and sixty hours compulsory public works or restriction of freedom from one to three years or up to three year of imprisonment.

The same acts committed with the involvement or use of minors, elderly, mentally ill, disabled, or showing themselves as disabled, as well as involving or using persons, forcing them to drink alcohol or substances that are not narcotic or psychotropic, committed after an administrative penalty was applied for the same act, could be punished with mandatory public works from three hundred and sixty to four hundred and eighty hours or restriction of freedom from three to five years or imprisonment from three to five years.

If the same actions are committed:

• repeatedly, by prior conspiracy by a group of persons or by a dangerous recidivist;

• by prior agreement with a group of persons;

• with forcing to use narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances;

• with the use of violence or the threat of violence;

could be punished with imprisonment from five to eight years in proposed law.

It is also planned to insert Begging into the Administrative Liability Code.

Begging after an administrative penalty for the same act was applied could be punished by a fine of five to ten times the minimum wage (MW=184,000 UZS) or an administrative arrest of up to five days.

The same acts committed with the involvement or use of minors, elderly, mentally ill, disabled, or showing themselves as disabled, as well as involving or using persons, forcing them to drink alcohol or substances that are not narcotic or psychotropic, committed after an administrative penalty was applied for the same act, could be punished with a fine of ten to fifteen times the MW or administrative arrest from five to ten days.

Involvement or use of other persons into begging by forcing them to drink alcoholic beverages, use substances that are not narcotic or psychotropic could be punishable by a fine of fifteen to twenty times the MW or administrative arrest from ten to fifteen days.