Criminal Liability Established for Violating Inviolability Rights

A law signed by Uzbekistan's president on October 14 sets out a special procedure for handling cases involving persons with inviolability and immunity.

Persons with inviolability include deputies of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis and members of the Senate, the human rights ombudsman, the children's rights commissioner, judges, prosecutors, investigators, lawyers, members of the Central Election Commission and presidential candidates during their candidacy. Management staff of the Presidential Administration will retain inviolability for five years after dismissal, for actions or omissions unrelated to their duties in the Administration. The president, Presidential Administration officials and their family members have immunity, while parliament members have immunity for voting and expressing opinions.

An inviolable person may not be detained or taken to a law enforcement body, except for detention of up to three hours on the grounds set out in Article 221, Part 1 of the Criminal Procedure Code, where a person is caught committing a crime or immediately afterward. Holding inviolable persons criminally liable requires consent from the relevant chamber, the president or another competent body. For deputies, the relevant chamber must consent; for Presidential Administration management staff, the president must give written consent on the basis of a submission from the Prosecutor General.