Uzbekistan adopts new measures to support prisoners' family ties

In Uzbekistan, prisoners may soon have the right to hold remote video meetings with their relatives. A draft law on this matter was discussed and adopted in the first reading at a meeting of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis on December 17.

The draft law aims to prevent the isolation of prisoners from society by utilizing modern information and communication technologies. It also seeks to support their reintegration into society after serving their sentences.

The proposed amendments and additions to the Criminal Procedure Code provide prisoners serving sentences in all penal institutions under the control of the Ministry of Internal Affairs with the right to hold online meetings with their relatives. The number of these remote video meetings will be determined according to the procedure for serving the sentence.

Under the draft law, prisoners in residential colonies and correctional colonies will be entitled to 24 remote video meetings per year.

According to the initiators of the law, these changes will allow convicts to maintain constant contact with family members and relatives while serving their sentences. This measure is expected to support family relationships and aid in the prisoners' rehabilitation process.

It should be noted that earlier reports stated that, starting from January 1, 2025, Uzbekistan will gradually introduce a system for the remote monitoring of people under house arrest and those sentenced to imprisonment. This system will track the presence of such individuals at the place of execution of the preventive measure and punishment.