Uzbekistan Senate Passes Sweeping Anti-Corruption Law

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan's Senate has approved sweeping amendments to the country's criminal legislation, eliminating the possibility of early release for those convicted of bribery and reclassifying a range of corrupt acts as the most serious category of criminal offense.

The upper chamber of the Oliy Majlis passed the Law "On Amendments and Additions to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan Aimed at Enhancing the Effectiveness of Anti-Corruption Efforts and Ensuring the Inevitability of Punishment for Corruption Crimes" at a plenary session, signaling a significant tightening of Uzbekistan's legal framework on official misconduct.

Among the law's most consequential provisions is an outright prohibition on parole for individuals convicted of accepting bribes, offering bribes, or acting as intermediaries in bribery schemes — closing a loophole that critics had long identified as undermining deterrence.

The legislation also introduces the formal legal category of "corruption crimes" into Section Eight of the Criminal Code, establishing an explicit enumerated list of offenses that fall within its scope. Lawmakers said the move is intended to eliminate interpretive inconsistencies in prosecutorial and judicial practice.

In a further escalation of penalties, fraud committed through abuse of official position is reclassified under Part Four of Article 168 of the Criminal Code — a category reserved for particularly grave crimes — carrying a maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment. Lawmakers framed the reclassification as a step toward unifying judicial practice across jurisdictions.

The law extends its reach into the private sector as well, strengthening sanctions for the corruption of employees at non-governmental organizations. Several existing Criminal Code articles are also amended to designate self-interested motive as a new aggravating qualifier, stiffening potential sentences across a broader range of offenses.

On the institutional side, amendments to the Law on the Accounts Chamber of Uzbekistan strip the body of its oversight role over internal anti-corruption compliance systems — a deliberate step to eliminate functional duplication between state agencies and sharpen institutional accountability lines.

Parallel amendments to the Code of Administrative Responsibility introduce stricter sanctions for violations in the sphere of public procurement and the use of budgetary funds.

Senators said the law would foster a culture of zero tolerance toward corruption, raise the effectiveness of national anti-corruption policy, and ensure that punishment for corrupt acts becomes genuinely unavoidable.