Authorities in Uzbekistan have reportedly implemented stricter administrative measures targeting sexual harassment in public and private spaces. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has signed amendments designed to revise the existing legal framework by increasing financial penalties and extending the potential duration of administrative detention for offenders.

Under the newly updated Article 41-1 of the Administrative Responsibility Code, individuals found guilty of a first-time sexual harassment offense now face fines ranging from 10 to 15 basic calculation units (BCU), or alternatively, administrative arrest for up to 10 days. With the current BCU set at 440,000 soms, the monetary penalty purportedly spans from approximately 4.4 million to 6.6 million soms. This represents a substantial escalation compared to prior regulations, which imposed much lighter fines of two to five BCUs.

The legislative adjustments also establish harsher consequences for repeat offenders. If an individual commits a similar infraction within one year of receiving an initial administrative penalty, the fine is claimed to increase to between 15 and 20 BCUs, equating to roughly 6.6 million to 8.8 million soms. Furthermore, magistrates are now authorized to impose administrative detention for up to 15 days for repeated violations.

Official descriptions of sexual harassment under the revised framework encompass both single instances of crude behavior and multiple unwanted actions of a sexual nature that degrade an individual's honor and dignity. This allegedly includes unsolicited remarks concerning a person's appearance or physique, suggestive gestures, inappropriate touching, and verbal appeals carrying explicit sexual undertones.

Observers note that these changes follow earlier legislative efforts purportedly aimed at curbing severe crimes within the country, including heightened penalties of up to 25 years or life imprisonment for sexual violence directed against minors under the age of 14.

Source: podrobno.uz