Storing obscene videos of children to be considered a crime

Those who store obscene videos of children may now be held criminally liable. This is stated in the draft law “On Amendments and Addenda to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Connection with the Improvement of the System of Protecting Children from Violence”, which was initially reviewed today, October 3, at a meeting of the Senate Committee on Youth, Culture and Sports.

According to the document, the Criminal Code and the Code of Administrative Responsibility will increase liability for committing obscene acts against persons under the age of 16 using telecommunication networks or the Internet.

In particular, administrative liability is introduced for storing pornographic videos with the intention of distributing them, while criminal liability will apply if the offense is repeated within a year.

Furthermore, to strengthen the guarantees of minors’ rights, the institution of a legal representative for a minor witness is being introduced. The total duration of questioning a minor witness or victim in one day will depend on the child’s age and condition. It is stipulated that for children under 7 years of age, the maximum duration is 30 minutes without breaks, with a total of 1 hour per day; for those aged 7 to 14, up to 1 hour without breaks, totaling 2 hours; and for those aged 14 to 18, up to 2 hours without breaks, totaling 4 hours per day.

During the discussion, senators emphasized that the draft law aims to prevent crimes, ensure the inevitability of punishment for offenders, and protect the rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests of children. At the end of the session, the committee adopted a relevant resolution on the issue included in the agenda.

It is worth noting that earlier, this draft law was discussed at a meeting of political party factions in the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis. According to data presented at the meeting, crimes involving lewd and lascivious acts against minors increased by 36 percent in the first eight months of 2025.