MP Kusherbayev asks judiciary to explain procedure for organizing and holding rallies

This was stated by the deputy of the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis Rasul Kusherbayev.

It should be recalled that earlier information was circulated on the network that on November 29, in the Uzbekistan district (Fergana region), the authorities decided to disconnect the gypsum plant from gas supply in order to redirect gas to the needs of the population. After that, messages were published on social networks that hundreds of plant workers would be left without work.

“On December 6, 20 plant workers misinterpreted the situation and staged a rally, violating public order,” the police department said in a statement.

As a result, administrative cases were initiated against 7 employees of the plant under Articles 183 (petty hooliganism) and 201 (violation of the procedure for organizing and holding meetings, rallies, street processions or demonstrations). On December 7, one of the offenders was sentenced to 10 days, and 6 of them up – to 5-day administrative arrest.

In addition, on December 13, the Uzbekistan district court on criminal proceedings considered the case of blogger Olimjon Khaydarov.

He was accused of violating two articles of the Administrative Responsibility Code: 201 (violation of the procedure for organizing and holding meetings, rallies, street marches or demonstrations) and 202-2 (dissemination of false information). As a result, the blogger has been imposed a fine of 21 million soums.

The report of the Fergana region DIA states that Olimjon Khaydarov was the organizer and “screenwriter” of the above-mentioned rally.

At the same time, the deputy of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis Rasul Kusherbayev drew attention to the fact that in Uzbekistan there is no procedure for organizing, holding meetings, rallies, street processions or demonstrations.

“Personally, I have never read the procedure for organizing, holding meetings, rallies, street marches or demonstrations. I can’t even find this document. I asked the responsible officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, they also do not have a document,” he said.

The people’s representative asked the court to provide the procedure for organizing and holding rallies.

“Let them provide us with a procedure for organizing, holding meetings, rallies, street marches or demonstrations, which is known only to them. In order not to violate this order, let them explain all the details,” Kusherbayev said.

He stressed that “if the judges recognized a violation of the order, then this order is known to them”.

“We are waiting for a response from the Supreme Court,” the deputy concluded.

It should be recalled that in June 2019, a draft law “On rallies, meetings and demonstrations of citizens” was published. However, the document was not accepted.

In August 2020, another draft law on rallies, meetings and demonstrations, which was developed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, was published on the Single Portal. The document contains such concepts as a rally, a meeting, a demonstration, a street procession, a picket and a flash mob. However, this draft document was also not approved and adopted.