Uzbek Senate approves reforms to liberalize criminal liability for minors

Uzbekistan is set to implement sweeping reforms aimed at softening the country’s criminal justice approach toward minors, as the Senate—its upper house of parliament—has approved amendments to the Criminal Code focused on reducing legal and social burdens for young offenders.

According to the Senate press service, the legislation, now awaiting presidential assent from Shavkat Mirziyoyev, introduces several key changes intended to humanize the state’s penal policy, Caliber.Az reports.

Chief among them is the provision that individuals convicted of non-serious offenses before reaching the age of 18, and who have already served their sentence, will no longer carry a criminal record. This move is expected to ease the reintegration of youth offenders into society by minimizing long-term stigmatization.

The amendments also propose reducing the minimum duration of freedom-restricting measures and imprisonment for minors from six months to one. Lawmakers emphasized that the reforms are part of a broader effort to modernize and humanize Uzbekistan’s legal system, aligning with international standards on juvenile justice.

“The initiative underscores our commitment to rehabilitation over punishment and aims to ensure that youthful mistakes do not result in lifelong penalties,” a Senate spokesperson noted during the plenary session.

Statistical data provided by the Senate reveals the scope of the issue: in 2023, 1,911 minors were prosecuted and convicted, a figure that increased to 2,214 in 2024. Of the offenses committed last year, 1,238 were deemed to pose minimal threat to public safety, while 855 were classified as moderately serious crimes.

By Vafa Guliyeva