Uzbek Interior Ministry drafts country's first rallies law
TASHKENT. June 13 (Interfax) - The Uzbek Interior Ministry has submitted for public debate the country's first bill On Rallies, Assemblies and Demonstrations of Citizens.
The document is available for viewing on the draft legislation portal.
"The purpose of this law is to regulate relations in the sphere of social activities of citizens of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the form of rallies, assemblies and/or demonstrations," the draft document said.
The bill outlines all provisions and procedures governing the organization of rallies, assemblies and demonstrations. Uzbekistan previously did not have such legislation.
In particular, the document proposes introducing clear rules for organizing mass events for active expression of civil position.
Rallies, assemblies and demonstrations cannot be organized by legally incapable and mentally ill people, foreigners or stateless persons, and also heads or members of non-state non-commercial organizations closed or unregistered on the territory of the republic, or whose activities were suspended or banned in accordance with the legislation.
The bill provides that people who seek to hold a public assembly need to file applications with the local bodies of authority no later than 30 days prior to the planned event. Rallies, assemblies and demonstrations are conducted solely on working days and no earlier than 10:00 a.m. The document also contains clear restrictions on the location of such events.
Authorization is denied if an event is planed ear the buildings of bodies of state authority, courts, prisons, diplomatic missions or transport infrastructure facilities.
The document also envisages the rights and duties of the police and divisions of the National Guard in the organization of rallies, assemblies or demonstrations, the grounds and procedure for banning, suspending or ending them and also issues relating to their safe organization, the report said.