Right to photograph and videotape law enforcement officers preserved

On January 24, during the third plenary session of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis, senators approved a law titled "On Amendments to the Criminal Code, Criminal Procedure Code, and the Code of Administrative Responsibility of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Connection with the Improvement of the Road Safety System." This law preserves citizens' right to photograph and videotape law enforcement officers and distribute the footage. The announcement was made by Senator Kutbiddin Burkhonov, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defense and Security.

This law was initially discussed during the 55th plenary session of the Senate on August 16, 2024, before being sent to the Legislative Chamber for further review. The reconsideration followed public criticism of a proposal to introduce Article 192-2 into the Code of Administrative Responsibility, which would have imposed administrative liability for photographing and videotaping law enforcement officers during their duties and sharing the footage online.

In the revised draft law approved by senators, the new Article 1952, which was added to the Code of Administrative Responsibility, has also undergone significant revision.

"The right of citizens to photograph and videotape law enforcement officers and distribute the footage has been preserved. The Conciliation Commission unanimously concluded that this right should not be restricted. Citizens will still be able to film the actions of law enforcement officers and post the footage on social media. Public oversight of the activities of law enforcement officials will remain intact. Unlike the previous version, the revised law does not impose liability for sharing such footage on social networks," Burkhonov stated. 

He further explained that the law stipulates that the distribution of footage must not distort or discredit the actions, words, or state of law enforcement officers.

"The term 'not to distort' is used intentionally. Holding individuals liable for distributing distorted information is not a new practice in our legislation. The current Code of Administrative Responsibility already includes provisions for liability for the presentation (distribution) of distorted information in six articles, and the Criminal Code in four. As a result, courts have already established a stable judicial practice that prevents abuses in this area," Burkhonov concluded.