Authorities in Uzbekistan have officially implemented stricter legislative measures aimed at curbing child marriages and the performance of unauthorized religious wedding ceremonies without prior state registration. The newly adopted amendments, which took effect on October 14, represent a notable escalation of penalties within the country's legal framework regarding family relations and the protection of minors.

Under the revised regulations, entering into actual marital relations with an individual who has not reached the legal age of consent is now punishable by a fine ranging from 10 to 15 base calculation units (BCU). Previously, the penalty for this infraction was considerably lighter, standing at 5 to 10 BCU. Financial penalties have also been substantially raised for parents or legal guardians who facilitate or arrange marriages for underage individuals.

Specifically, the act of giving an underage person in marriage now incurs a fine ranging from 20 to 25 BCU, compared to the previous range of 7 to 15 BCU. Furthermore, the authorities have targeted religious clerics and individuals conducting wedding rituals without official civil registration certificates. Performing a religious marriage ceremony between parties whose union has not been officially registered is now penalized with a fine of 30 to 50 BCU, a sharp increase from the previous 15 to 30 BCU.

These legislative adjustments come in the wake of troubling societal incidents that have allegedly exposed vulnerabilities in the protection of minors. Law enforcement agencies in the capital recently launched an investigation into allegations of physical violence and sexual abuse involving a teenage girl who was reportedly cohabitating with a man in an unregistered religious union, highlighting ongoing challenges within local communities.

Source: podrobno.uz