Uzbekistan moves to soften penalties and erase records for juvenile offenders

A new legislative amendment proposes that minors who have served their sentence for a non-grave offense committed before turning 18 will be considered as having no criminal record.

Photo: The Senate of the Oliy Majlis

This proposal was discussed during a session of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis under the bill titled “On amendments and additions to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan in connection with further liberalization of criminal liability for minors.”

According to the presented data, 1,911 minors were prosecuted and convicted in 2023. This number increased to 2,214 in 2024. Of the crimes committed by minors last year, 1,238 were classified as socially non-dangerous, and 855 were categorized as less serious offenses.

The law introduces several amendments and additions to the Criminal Code.

Specifically, it stipulates that a person who has served their sentence for a non-grave offense committed before reaching the age of 18 will be recognized as having no criminal record.

Additionally, the law proposes reducing the minimum terms of restriction of liberty and imprisonment for minors from six months to one month.

According to senators, the new law aims to further liberalize criminal liability for minors and create conditions for those who have served their sentence for an offense committed before the age of 18 to continue their lives without the stigma of a criminal record.

The bill was approved by the Senate.