Uzbekistan

Article 25 

Everyone shall have the right to freedom and inviolability of the person. 

Article 28 

A citizen of the Republic of Uzbekistan shall have the right to freedom of movement on the territory of the Republic, as well as to free entry to and exit from it except for the events specified by law. 

Article 37 

Everyone shall have the right to work, free choice of work, fair conditions of labour and protection against unemployment in the procedure specified by law. 

Any forced labour shall be prohibited except for punishment under the sentence of a court or some other instances stipulated by law. 

Article 38 

Citizens, working on hire, shall be entitled to a paid rest. The number of working hours and paid labour leave shall be specified by law. 

Article 63 

The family is the primary unit of the society and shall have the right to protection of the society and state. 

Marriage shall be based on the willing consent and equality of both parties. 

Constitution of 1992 (PDF)

Article 121. Coercion of Woman to Sexual Intercourse  

Coercion of a woman to a sexual intercourse in a natural or unnatural form by a person, on which the woman was in financial, service, or other dependence –  

shall be punished with by correctional labor up to two years or arrest up to six months.  

The same actions accompanied with sexual intercourse in a natural or unnatural form –  

shall be punished with correctional labor from two to three years or imprisonment from three to five years. 

Article 127. Inducing of Juvenile in Antisocial Conduct  

Inducing a juvenile in begging alms, drinking, usage of substances, which, being neither narcotic nor psychotropic, affect, however, will and mentality of the juvenile, committed after a previous administrative penalty for the same actions –  

shall be punished with correctional labor up to two years or arrest up to two months, or imprisonment up to three years. 

Article 131. Keeping Disorderly Houses and Procuration 

Establishing and keeping disorderly houses, as well as procuration committed from mercenary or other foul motives – 

shall be punished with fine from one hundred to two hundreds minimal monthly wages or correctional labor up to three years. 

The same actions committed: 

a. with involvement of a juvenile;

b. repeatedly by a recidivist or a person, who previously committed crimes envisaged by Articles 135 or 137 of this Code –

shall be punished by arrest up to six months or imprisonment up to five years. 

Article 135. Human trafficking  

Human trafficking, that is purchase and sale of the person or his recruitment, transportation, transfer, concealment or obtaining for the purpose of its operation [exploitation- translation error], -  

is punished by imprisonment from three to five years.  

Same actions, perfect:  

а) by abduction, application of violence or threat of its application or other forms of coercion;  

б) concerning two or more persons;  

в) concerning the person, obviously for guilty being down and out;  

г) concerning the person being in material or other dependence on the guilty;  

д) repeatedly or dangerous recidivist; е) on preliminary collusion by the group of persons;  

ж) with use of official position;  

з) with moving of the victim through Frontier of the Republic of Uzbekistan or with its illegal deduction abroad;  

и) with use of forgery documents, and it is equal with withdrawal, concealment or destruction of the documents certifying victim's identity;  

к) for the purpose of obtaining of the transplant,  

are punished by restriction of freedom from three to five years or imprisonment from five to eight years.  

Same actions:  

а) made concerning the person, obviously for guilty not reached eighteen years;  

б) entailed death of the victim or other heavy consequences;  

в) made by especially dangerous recidivist;  

г) made by the organized group or in its interests,  

are punished by imprisonment from eight to twelve years. 

Article 136. Forcing or Preventing Marriage 

Forcing a woman to get married or continue cohabitation, or abducting her with intend to marry against her will, as well as preventing her to get married – 

shall be punished with fine up to twenty­five minimal monthly wages or correctional labor up to three years, or arrest up to six months, or imprisonment up to three years. 

Article 138. Forceful Illegal Deprivation of Liberty 

Forceful illegal deprivation of liberty – 

shall be punished with fine up to fifty minimal monthly wages or correctional labor up to three years, or imprisonment up to three years. 

The same action committed with: 

a. inflicting physical suffering;

b. placement of a victim in conditions endangering life or health;

shall be punished with imprisonment from three to five years. 

Criminal Code (PDF)

Article 3. Basic concepts 

In this Law the following basic concepts are applied: 

human trafficking - recruitment, transportation, transfer, concealment or receipt of people for the purpose of their operation by threat of force or its application or other forms of coercion, stealing, fraud, deception, authority misuse or vulnerability of provision, or by bribery in payment type or benefits for receipt of consent of person controlling other person. Exploitation of people means operation of prostitution of other persons or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or the services, slavery or customs similar to slavery, servile status either removal of organs or tissues of the person; 

the dealer in people - physical person or legal entity which independently or in group of persons makes any actions connected with human trafficking and also the official who the actions promotes human trafficking and equally does not interfere and does not resist to it though shall do it owing to the ex-officio full powers. 

LAW ABOUT COUNTERACTION TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING 2008 (PDF)

Note: Forced labor violations were criminalized in 2019 but considered as administrative violations for first offenses with increased fines levied by the labor inspectorate; only repeat offenses were considered criminal. The June 2019 Presidential decree “On Additional Measures to Further Improve the System of Combating Trafficking in Persons and Forced Labor” included a directive to align Article 135 more closely to international law; legislative changes remained in draft at the close of the reporting period