Uzbekistan: blogger got 15 days of arrest for word “cop”

On September 30, the correspondent of the online edition Tavtish.uz and blogger Bobur Ganiev, together with two companions, were detained by the Tashkent police department after an identity check. The correspondent was a passenger in the car of one of the detainees.

According to the press service of the security forces, Bobur Ganiev insulted the inspectors of the traffic safety department and interfered with the performance of their official duty.

At the police station, law enforcement officers put him on the floor and filmed a humiliating video. Then they found in Ganiev’s smartphone video materials and photographs of a pornographic nature, prohibited by law. They promised a legal assessment for this episode.

Ganiev on his youtube channel with 131 thousand subscribers posts numerous videos of disputes about traffic rules with traffic police officers, which caused extreme discontent of the latter.

On October 2, it became known that Bobur Ganiev was found guilty for using the word “cop” in the Uchtepa District Criminal Court of Tashkent under Article 41 (Insult) of the Code of Administrative Responsibility of the Republic of Uzbekistan, he will have to pay a fine of $ 505.

Bobur was also found guilty for failing to comply with the lawful demands of a police officer. The court sentenced him to 15 days of arrest. “Under Article 195, you have been subject to 15 days of administrative arrest for filming and attracting the attention of the public,” the judge said. His companions were punished in the same way.

According to the established practice in Uzbekistan, the correspondent was forced to record a video message of apology and admission of his guilt. Since the beginning of the year, 64 attacks against journalists and bloggers have been recorded in Uzbekistan using legal and/or economic mechanisms.

ACCA previously informed about the Senate’s approval of the law “On Amendments to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Code of Administrative Responsibility of the Republic of Uzbekistan.” Now the punishment for resistance to a representative of authority or a person performing official and civic duty is being toughened.

According to the Deputy Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judicial and Legal Issues and Anti-Corruption Shukhrat Chulliev, citizens do not observe public order, they use illegal actions against representatives of law enforcement agencies. The senator seriously noted that “in most cases, the health of these employees is being threatened or harmed”