A draft law was developed to introduce administrative liability for interfering with the lawful activities of journalists. It is expected to be submitted to the parliament, director of the Agency of information and mass communications (AIMC) Asadjon Khodjayev said on 19 October.
“We prepared a draft law to amend the relevant legislation and sent it for approval to ministries and agencies. [The draft] establishes liability for unlawful interference in journalists' activities. Who will be able to identify such violations, who will draw up administrative protocols and which body will investigate such situations? To ensure objectivity, should it be the prosecutor’s office, Ministry of Internal Affairs or other agencies? We (AIMC — ed.) have proposed taking these powers on ourselves. We believe that if the agency, together with experts, carries out the tasks laid out in this draft law, it will ensure both objectivity and transparency,” AIMC director noted.
According to Asadjon Khodjayev, ministries and agencies had submitted their suggestions regarding the draft law. “We have prepared the appropriate responses to all of them. [The draft law] will definitely be submitted to the next parliament, and it will not be delayed. The most important thing is that a political decision has already been made,” he added.
In 2021, Prosecutor General’s Office presented a draft of a new Criminal code for public discussion. It included article 184, which stipulated criminal liability for obstructing the lawful activities of a journalist — using one’s official position to coerce a journalist into disseminating or withholding certain information or applying force or threats against a journalist or their close relatives.
For such actions, the draft provided for fines ranging from 50 to 100 base calculation value, or approximately $1,330 to $2,655, restriction of freedom for up to 3 years or imprisonment for up to 3 years. However, this article was ultimately not included in the Criminal code.
The strengthening of liability for unlawful interference with media activities and obstruction of their work was included in the draft roadmap for implementing Uzbekistan’s development strategy for 2022−2026. According to the document’s wording, obstruction includes censorship by officials, pressure and coercion of editorial staff into certain actions or inactions, as well as the unlawful seizure of materials and technical equipment. However, no new measures have yet been introduced in this area.
