On March 27, 2025, the President signed Law No. ZRU-1051, introducing amendments to the Criminal Code that establish liability for undergoing training with the intent to commit mass riots, as well as for financing such activities.

The relevant amendment was made to Article 244 of the Criminal Code. In particular, the document stipulates that a person who undergoes training with the purpose of committing mass riots — including the acquisition of knowledge, practical skills, and abilities for carrying out mass riots, and during the training, learns methods for handling weapons, explosive devices, explosives, poisonous substances, and other materials or objects dangerous to the public — is subject to punishment in the form of a fine ranging from 300 to 600 base calculation units (BCUs), corrective labor for up to 3 years, or imprisonment for a term of 5 to 7 years.

It is also established that a person who has committed such a crime is exempt from criminal liability if they voluntarily inform the authorities about their participation in the training, actively assist in the disclosure of the committed crime or in identifying other individuals who underwent, organized, or financed such training, as well as the locations where the training was conducted, provided that their actions do not constitute another crime.

Additionally, a new provision has been added stating that the organization or financing of mass riots involving violence against individuals, pogroms, arson, damage to or destruction of property, resistance to representatives of authority with the use or threat of use of weapons or other objects used as weapons, as well as active participation in such mass riots, is punishable by imprisonment for a term of 10 to 15 years.

The document has been published in the National Legislative Database in the state language and came into force on March 27, 2025.

Author: Lola Abduazimova Source: norma.uz