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Expansion of Surveillance Activities Law Signed in Uzbekistan

in Politics / Uzbekistan - by


President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a law expanding the locations for operational and investigative activities. The Legislative Chamber approved the law on October 17, with the Senate endorsing it on January 19.

According to amendments in the law on operational and investigative activities, such actions can now be conducted using information and communication technologies, including in cyberspace.

The law on the procedure for serving administrative detention is supplemented by Article 6-1, allowing for operational and investigative activities in special detention centers. This is aimed at preventing, detecting, preventing, and solving crimes, as well as identifying individuals involved in criminal activities.

During a session on September 19, 2023, when the Ministry of Internal Affairs presented this bill, Deputy Doniyor Ganiev questioned the necessity of such activities in detention centers. The Ministry representatives were unable to provide a satisfactory answer.

Speaker of the Legislative Chamber Nuriddinjon Ismoilov highlighted that law enforcement agencies can now carry out operational and investigative activities in special detention centers, where individuals detained for 10-15 days are held.

Ganiev raised concerns about the legalization of such practices, emphasizing the different statuses of individuals in detention centers compared to those in investigative isolators or prisons.

The law was passed in the first reading with 102 votes in favor, 2 against, and 1 abstention. In subsequent readings on October 17, the law was approved, but the session's broadcast was later removed.