Human Rights Watch stated today that the Information and Mass Communications Agency of Uzbekistan should revoke a draft information code that, if passed, would trample upon media freedom.
Mihra Rittmann, senior Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, advised Uzbekistan’s parliament against moving forward with this draft bill without taking into account its negative implications for freedom of expression and the nondiscrimination principle.
Before continuing with its evaluation, Uzbek lawmakers should make sure that it complies with international human rights law completely, Rittman added.
The Agency for Information and Mass Communications created the Information Code, which was published on December 14 and is now available for public comment through December 29. It aims to codify eight information-related laws, including those governing media, access to information, and safeguarding children from hazardous content, but it also adds detrimental new clauses.
Material that is “insulting” or “shows disrespect for society, the state, state symbols, including obscenities,” as well as information that is released during investigations and trials, are both prohibited by the draft law. A chilling impact would result from such laws on bloggers and journalists.
The law also contains discriminatory prohibitions against “promoting” same-sex relationships, which ought to be changed because they would only serve to reinforce the prejudice and discrimination experienced by LGBT persons in Uzbekistan.
The Information and Mass Communications Agency should make sure that any restrictions on the right to free speech included in the draft code are strictly limited to what is required and reasonable, and they should only be used for legal reasons as permitted by international human rights law.
According to Human Rights Watch, the two-week time limit for public discussion of this expansive law does not provide the public or media and information law experts with sufficient time to engage in meaningful discussion and ensure that the law will not adversely affect the rights of journalists, bloggers, other information industry workers, including human rights activists, and the general public.
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Uzbekistan is a member, among other rights, ensures the freedom of expression, including the right to seek, receive, and disseminate information, as well as the right to be protected from discrimination.
Partners with Uzbekistan should make it clear that the enactment of legislation that is discriminatory, undermines freedom of expression, and violates numerous ICCPR standards is incompatible with Uzbekistan’s claimed reform strategy.
Human Rights Watch recommended that the Uzbekistan Information and Mass Communications Agency withdraw the measure for additional revisions and ask independent media and information law experts to study the text and offer expert comment.
According to Rittmann, Uzbek lawmakers should make sure that this Information Code safeguards the rights of journalists and other persons.
She continued by saying that there is still time to defend free speech and delete the draft’s rights-violating clauses.
