On October 31, the president Mirziyoyev signed amendments to the Criminal Code and the Code of Administrative Liability, which enshrines the secularism of the state.

Amendments to the Code of Administrative Liability

The performance of a religious ceremony for marriage between persons whose marriage is not legally registered, including with a person under the age of marriage, entails a fine of 15 to 30 Basic Settlement Units (from 4.9 million soums to 9.9 million soums) (1 BSU = 330 thousand soums).

Only the above article in the Code of Administrative Offenses changes the wording. All other following articles in the code are new.

Propaganda of cohabitation with two or more wives, dissemination of views, ideas or calls of such content, as well as encouragement of such actions, entails a fine of 15 to 30 BSU (from 4.9 million soums to 9.9 million soums) or up to 15-day administrative arrest.

Being in public places with a covered face to a degree that does not allow personal identification entails a fine of 10 to 15 BSU (from 3.3 million soums to 4.9 million soums).

At the same time, an exception is made for cases of being with a covered face for medical reasons, for cases when the face is covered with a special headdress worn to ensure safety in road traffic, or being with a covered face in cases related to labor and official activities or participants sports and cultural events during their holding.

Propaganda of discrimination based on gender, including public denial of the equality of women and men, dissemination of views, ideas or calls of such content, as well as public justification and (or) encouragement of such actions, entails a fine of 10 to 20 BSU (from 3. 3 million soums to 6.6 million soums).

The law will come into force on the date of official publication.

Amendments to the Criminal Code

The performance of a religious ceremony for marriage between persons whose marriage is not legally registered, including with a person under marriageable age, after the application of an administrative penalty for the same act, is punishable by a fine of 75 to 150 BSU (from 24.7 million up to 49.5 million) or compulsory public works from 360 to 400 hours or correctional labor from 2 to 3 years.

The minimum penalty has been established for the production and distribution of materials promoting national, racial, ethnic or religious hatred, committed after the application of an administrative penalty for the same acts - a fine from 300 to 600 BSU (from 99 million soums to 198 million soums) or correctional labor from 2 to 3 years or restriction of freedom from 1 to 3 years or imprisonment from 1 to 3 years.

The minimum punishment has also been established for deliberate actions that humiliate national honor and dignity, offend the feelings of citizens in connection with their religious or atheistic beliefs, committed with the aim of inciting hostility, intolerance or hatred towards groups of the population on national, racial, ethnic or religious grounds, and also propaganda of the superiority or inferiority of citizens on national, racial, ethnic or religious grounds, as well as direct or indirect restriction of rights or the establishment of direct or indirect advantages depending on their national, racial, ethnic origin or attitude to religion. Such actions are punishable by restriction of freedom from 3 to 5 years or imprisonment from three to five years.