Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- At the center of the discussion of the twelfth plenary session of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis was the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On Amendments and Additions to the Criminal, Criminal Procedure Codes of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Administrative Responsibility."

It was noted that effective measures are currently being taken to identify, protect and socially rehabilitate victims of trafficking in persons, to provide medical, psychological and other assistance to citizens who have become victims of such crimes, to investigate and prosecute persons involved in trafficking in persons, as well as to eliminate conditions contributing to the commission of such crimes.

Especially, the National Commission on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and Forced Labor is working to further strengthen guarantees for the protection of minors in the country, to prevent cases of their involvement in forced labor, activities of prohibited or illegal associations, sexual exploitation of minors, as well as to ensure the strict liability of those who have committed such actions.

The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On amendments and additions to the Criminal, Criminal Procedure Codes of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Administrative Responsibility" is a logical continuation of these systemic measures.

In particular, the Criminal Code establishes responsibility for sexual intercourse with a person between the ages of sixteen and eighteen years, knowingly for the guilty person under eighteen years of age, by providing him with material values or property benefits. The objective side of the crime is that the commission of such actions after the application of an administrative penalty is established as a necessary sign of an act. Thus, the protection of the rights and freedoms of not only persons under the age of sixteen, but also under the age of eighteen, is guaranteed, that is, the rights and freedoms of the child by suppressing cases of the use of prostitution of minors.

Along with this, given that a person under 18 years of age, as the object of this crime, is a normal and morally developed person, 18 years old is established by the age of the subject of the crime.

In addition, in order to further strengthen the guarantees of protecting the interests of minors, to prevent cases of their involvement in forced labor, the issue of responsibility is intensified, and direct criminal liability is envisaged for administrative coercion of a minor to work in any form. In this regard, the corresponding norm of the Code of Administrative Responsibility is excluded, which provides for liability for administrative compulsion to labor.

Criminal liability is also established for persuading minors in the Republic of Uzbekistan to participate in the activities of illegal public associations and religious organizations, directions, sects. This helps to prevent the risks of turning minors into victims of these crimes, to take effective measures against the involvement of minors in illegal public associations, to further strengthen the guaranteed protection of their interests by the state.

The implementation of this Law will serve to guarantee the protection of the rights and legitimate interests of citizens who have become victims of human trafficking, thereby increasing the authority of the state in the world arena, objectively and adequately informing the general public and the world community about the work carried out in this direction.