Uzbekistan prosecutes over 6,000 people for harassment and domestic violence in H1 2025

According to Aziz Obidov, spokesperson for the Supreme Court, nearly 5,000 individuals were prosecuted for domestic violence by courts across the country during the reporting period.

Under Article 59−2 (domestic violence), 4,952 people were held accountable. Of these, 3,200 were fined and 1,752 were placed under administrative arrest.

A total of 231 individuals were convicted under Article 126−1 of the Criminal Code, which deals with repeat offenses or domestic violence committed under aggravating circumstances. Of these, 65 were sentenced to imprisonment and 166 received other forms of punishment.

Under Article 41−1 of the Administrative Code (sexual harassment), 986 people were prosecuted. This includes 358 who were fined and 628 placed under administrative arrest.

Under Article 141−3 of the Criminal Code, which criminalizes the disclosure of information that infringes on a person’s honor and dignity or pertains to their private life, 99 people were convicted. Of these, 24 were sentenced to prison, while 75 received non-custodial penalties.

In April 2023, the president of Uzbekistan signed legislative amendments strengthening the protection of the rights and freedoms of women and children. In the nine months following the law’s entry into force, more than 9,100 people were convicted of domestic violence. In the first 10 months of 2024 alone, 15,826 individuals were sentenced. During the same year, 666 individuals were found guilty of sexual harassment and 48 were convicted for distributing intimate information.

Legal experts Zayniddin Shamsiddinov and Utkirbek Kholmirzayev of Tashkent State University of Law previously studied judicial practices related to domestic violence cases. They found that in some instances, investigators and courts have used domestic violence provisions to prosecute victims or pressure them into reconciliation.