Uzbekistan enacts law imposing fines for distorting photos and videos of law enforcement officers

Article 195-2 of the Administrative Code states that publishing such materials online or through other sources in a way that distorts the image of officers performing their official duties is now punishable by a fine of 7.5 million to 18.75 million Uzbek UZS or up to 10 days of administrative arrest.

The law applies not only to officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs but also to representatives of the Prosecutor’s Office, the National Guard, and the Customs Committee.

This initiative sparked widespread public debate even during its discussion stage. Similar measures were first proposed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in March 2022, initially aiming to ban the publication of any photos or videos of traffic police officers without their consent. However, following public criticism, the wording of the law was revised.

The final version of the bill was nearly unanimously approved by the Legislative Chamber on November 28, 2023. It focuses on preventing the defamation and disparagement of law enforcement officers through manipulated materials.