Uzbekistran to punish illegal organ transplantation with 10 years of jail - bill
TASHKENT. Aug 29 (Interfax) - A bill tightening responsibility for illegal transplantation and trade in organs in Uzbekistan implies punishment for a term of up to 10 years, according to amendments to the Uzbek Criminal Code published on Tuesday for public discussion on the national portal of the system for evaluation of legislative acts' impact.
Compulsion to the retrieval or unlawful retrieval of human organs, tissue and cells will be punishable by a restriction of freedom for a term of from three to five years or imprisonment for the same term. Given aggravating circumstances, offenders will be sentenced for a term of five to eight years and in the event of a patient's death - from eight to 10 years.
In line with the amendments, deals to sell or buy human organs will entail the restriction of freedom from three to five years or imprisonment for the same period of time. Repeated offenses or preliminary agreement of a group of persons will entail imprisonment for a term of five to 10 years.
Presently the Uzbek Criminal Code contains an article on "Retrieval of human organs or tissue", including retrieval for mercenary motives implying maximum punishment in the form of imprisonment for five years.
In keeping with the timetable of the author of the bill - the Health Ministry - the amendments are to be submitted to the Cabinet for consideration in October. The bill may come into force as of 2018.
The Health Ministry also published for public consideration the bill "On the transplantation of human organs, tissue and/or cells" which for the first time in Uzbekistan will regulate legal relations in this sphere. Pursuant to the bill, transplantation of organs and tissue will be allowed only if other medical means cannot guarantee that the patient will remain alive or recover his/her functions.