Uzbekistan has enacted a law imposing prison sentences of up to eight years on officials who unlawfully detain, coerce or investigate individuals protected by legal immunity — a sweeping expansion of criminal liability that covers everyone from parliamentarians and judges to lawyers, election commissioners and senior presidential staff.
The legislation, formally titled On Amendments and Supplements to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan, establishes a tiered penalty structure and special procedural rules for handling protected individuals. At the lower tier, knowingly and unlawfully detaining a protected person, forcibly bringing them to a law enforcement agency, conducting investigative actions against them, or ordering others to do so carries a sentence of three to five years’ restriction of liberty or imprisonment. The upper tier — five to eight years’ imprisonment — applies when the offence is repeated, carried out by a group acting in concert, involves violence or threats of violence, relies on falsified evidence, or results in the arrest or criminal prosecution of the protected individual.
Who is protected
The circle of protected persons is broad. It encompasses members of both chambers of the Oliy Majlis — the Legislative Chamber and the Senate — the Human Rights Ombudsman, the Children’s Rights Ombudsman, judges, prosecutors, investigators, inquiry officers, lawyers, members of the Central Election Commission and presidential candidates. The president, officials of the Presidential Administration and their family members are also covered.
A notable provision extends protection beyond active service: senior officials of the Presidential Administration retain immunity for five years after leaving office, but only for acts or omissions unrelated to their official duties in the administration.
Under the procedural rules the law introduces, protected individuals may not be detained or forcibly brought before law enforcement except for a maximum of three hours in circumstances specified under Article 221, paragraph 1, of the Criminal Procedure Code. Any criminal prosecution of a protected person requires prior consent — from the relevant parliamentary chamber, the president or another authorised body, depending on the individual’s status. For senior Presidential Administration officials, written presidential consent must be obtained following a formal proposal from the Prosecutor General.
Evidence and accountability
The law also addresses the downstream consequences of procedural violations. Any evidence gathered in breach of immunity and inviolability requirements is deemed inadmissible and must be excluded from case materials — a provision that could have significant practical implications for prosecutions that touch on protected individuals. Administrative penalties against such persons cannot be imposed through ordinary court proceedings; their administrative liability is instead handled under the special procedures the law establishes. Telephone interception and monitoring of correspondence of persons entitled to privacy protections may proceed only under a court order or with written permission from the Prosecutor General.
A separate provision addresses financial liability: damage caused by decisions, actions or omissions of Presidential Administration officials in connection with their official duties will be compensated from the State Budget, and the right of recourse against those officials will not apply — meaning the state bears the cost without the ability to recover it from the responsible official.
The law entered into force on the date of its official publication.
