Prosecutor’s office to toughen penalty for illegal demolition 

The Prosecutor General’s Office of Uzbekistan is preparing proposals to toughen the punishment for illegal demolition of houses and buildings, the spokesperson of the supervising body Hayot Shamsutdinov said on Tuesday.

“We are watching the latest events. We have an appropriate department that deals with this issue and it is preparing proposals. We will let you know when everything is ready,” Shamsutdinov said, answering a question about a possible toughening of punishment for illegal demolition.

Recently, conflicts in the demolition of housing have become a very acute problem in Uzbekistan. Practice has shown that in many cases, people remain on the street without shelter and compensation, despite the fact that President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree that envisages withdrawal of land for the state and public needs only after the full payment of the market value of a real estate.

At a recent meeting, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev criticized the lack of a systematic approach to the demolition of buildings and structures of entrepreneurs, as well as the payment of compensation. 

“I strongly warn all khokims: it is absolutely unacceptable to demolish property belonging to entrepreneurs without justified need,” the head of state said.

The Ministries of Justice and Finance, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry were tasked to develop, together with the business ombudsman, a proposal for further improvement of the order of demolition and compensation for property.