Senate of Uzbekistan approves criminal sanctions for calls for mass disorders

AKIPRESS.COM - The Senate of Uzbekistan approved the bill foreseeing criminal sanctions for calls for mass disorders, local media reported.
The provision on public calls for disobedience to lawful demands of officials, mass disorders and violence against citizens will be added to the article on mass disorders in the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan. Such public calls will lead to fine or correctional labor up to 2 years, restriction of freedom from 3 to 5 years, or 3-5 years in prison.
The same actions committed by a group of people or with use of mass media and Internet will be punished with fine, correctional labor from 2 to 3 years, or 5-10 years in prison.
The amendments were also introduced into the Code of Administrative Liability of Uzbekistan. Public calls for violation of lws, including through use of mass media and Internet, will be fined.
According to the amendments, owners of websites and bloggers must not allow use of their sites and pages for publication of calls for mass disorders, violence against citizens, participation in rallies, fake information, information expressed in a way demonstrating disrespect to society, state and state symbols. To identify such information, owners of websites and bloggers should monitor their sites and pages, messengers and delete such information if they find it.
The bill is believed "to remove and prevent public calls for mass disorders" and spread "of false information threatening to public order and safety," the Senate website said.