Uzbekistan Expands Extremism Laws, Sets Prison Terms and Creates Public Register

Prison terms and a new public register

Uzbekistan has revised its laws on extremism, setting prison terms of five to 10 years for participation in prohibited organizations and creating a public electronic register of extremist organizations, materials and internet sources. The package also introduces administrative penalties for a first offense involving certain extremist materials, with criminal liability applying to repeated acts after an administrative penalty.

The Justice Ministry will maintain the register on its official website. It will cover organizations whose activities have been suspended over extremist activity, organizations designated as extremist, materials recognized as extremist and online sources that repeatedly carry such content.

The changes arrive as Uzbekistan's Supreme Court list of prohibited internet sources reaches 2,057 entries as of November 3, 2026. That is 142 more than the 1,915 listed in July, an increase of about 7.4%. Telegram channels and groups account for 967 entries, nearly half the total.

The legislation combines stricter punishment for involvement in prohibited organizations with a less severe initial legal response to specified offenses involving materials. For an individual, an administrative penalty can still mean a substantial fine, confiscation or detention for up to 15 days.

The amendments also replace the term "religious extremism" with "extremism" across relevant legislation. Lawmakers describe the changes as a way to make legal definitions and enforcement more consistent. Human rights activist Abdurahmon Tashanov, chair of the Ezgulik Society, welcomes removing the religious label but warns that a broader definition could also reach political views and activism.

What changes for materials and symbols?

New Article 184-5 of the Code of Administrative Responsibility introduces administrative liability for a first violation involving the production, possession for distribution or distribution of materials promoting extremism, separatism or fanaticism. The provisions also cover material calling for massacres or the forced displacement of citizens, and material intended to spread panic.

Individuals face fines of 50 to 100 basic calculation units. Officials face fines of 100 to 150 units. A basic calculation unit is a reference amount used to calculate fines and other payments, so the monetary cost depends on the unit's applicable value. Administrative detention for up to 15 days is an alternative penalty, and the relevant materials or items are subject to confiscation.

The rules also reach attributes and symbols of extremist and terrorist organizations. Preparation or storage for distribution or public display falls within the administrative provisions. This extends the legal response beyond written statements and videos to objects and symbols associated with prohibited organizations.

Administrative liability means an offense is initially handled under the administrative code rather than through a criminal conviction. The amendments provide for criminal liability when the specified conduct is repeated after an administrative penalty. Participation in an extremist, separatist, fundamentalist or other prohibited organization carries the separate prison term of five to 10 years.

How the definition becomes broader

Uzbekistan's existing legal framework already defines extremism and related conduct. The government's published Law on Combating Extremism, numbered O'RQ-489, was adopted by the Legislative Chamber on June 12, 2018, approved by the Senate on June 28 and took effect on November 1 that year. The linked text displays the version dated November 29, 2023.

Article 3 of that version defines extremism through actions directed at destabilizing the social and political situation, changing the constitutional order by force, seizing power and inciting national, racial, ethnic or religious hostility. It separately defines extremist activity, financing, groups, materials and organizations.

The amendments give a more detailed account of covered conduct. It includes violently removing legally elected or appointed officials, planning or encouraging specified violent actions, public calls for terrorist activity and promoting national, racial, ethnic or religious superiority or inferiority to create hostility or discord.

An extremist group is defined as two or more people engaged in extremist activity or attempting it. Extremist material includes information that calls for or justifies such activity. An extremist organization is an organization or informal structure banned or dissolved by a court because of extremist activity.

Several concepts, including the threshold of two people for a group and definitions concerning calls for extremist activity, already appear in the older law. The amendments revise their wording and scope while replacing the religious label in legislation concerning information, digital activity, youth policy, employment and publishing.

How a source reaches the register

The Justice Ministry register will bring several legal categories into one publicly accessible system. Its entries will include organizations under suspension, organizations formally designated as extremist, prohibited materials and electronic sources that systematically host or distribute extremist materials through telecommunications networks or the internet.

For electronic sources, "systematically" means two or more instances within a single year. The procedure begins with a government agency responsible for countering extremism submitting an application to the Prosecutor General's Office.

Each application must contain an expert assessment confirming the presence of extremist material. Prosecutors then review whether the documents justify taking the matter further. If they do, the prosecutor general or a deputy refers the case to the Supreme Court, which decides whether to designate the material or source as extremist under the legal procedure.

A court designation of an organization or material must be entered in the register within 10 days, with public notice through the media within one day. The system therefore links a court decision to publication, giving residents and organizations a public place to check legal designations. No launch date for the new register has been specified.

Telegram dominates the prohibited list

The Supreme Court's November 3, 2026 list shows how much enforcement already concerns social platforms and messaging services. Its 2,057 entries consist of 967 Telegram channels and groups, 454 Instagram profiles, 276 Facebook pages, 214 YouTube channels, 68 TikTok accounts, 44 Odnoklassniki pages, one Threads profile and 33 websites and other sources.

Telegram represents about 47% of all entries. Telegram and Instagram together account for 1,421, or about 69%. The figures count listed sources, such as profiles and channels, rather than the number of people using them.

The Supreme Court says importing, producing, storing, distributing and displaying the listed materials are prohibited in Uzbekistan. Its public message also urges residents to avoid internet sources banned by court decisions.

The Supreme Court, Uzbekistan's highest court, addressed citizens directly in its warning about prohibited online sources:

"Always take care to avoid falling into the trap of religious fundamentalism, extremism, and terrorism. Never allow them to ruin your life and your dreams. Stay away from internet sources that have been banned by the court," the Supreme Court stated.

The planned Justice Ministry register adds a broader publication system covering organizations and materials alongside electronic sources. Its practical value will depend on making those legal categories and the relevant court decisions easy for the public to identify.

What the older law already requires

Article 11 of the 2018 law already prohibits importing, making, possessing, distributing or displaying extremist materials and organizational symbols, including through the internet and mass media. It requires prohibited content to be destroyed or removed, or access restricted when removal is impossible.

Internet access providers can face liability for failing to comply with an authorized demand to remove material or restrict access. The amendments build on an existing system of content restrictions while revising penalties and the process for recording designations.

Article 10 also provides for action against legal entities after officials identify violations indicating extremist activity. Where violations are not corrected within the specified period, or new relevant facts emerge within a year of the formal notice, activity can be suspended for up to six months or prohibited by a Supreme Court decision.

Financial controls form another part of the framework. Article 12 requires relevant organizations handling money or property to monitor transactions and conduct checks. In specified circumstances, they must suspend transactions or freeze funds and other property without advance notice. The November 2023 amendment cited in the displayed law concerns these financing procedures.

Why a rights advocate is concerned

Abdurahmon Tashanov, the Ezgulik Society chair, sees a benefit in removing "religious" from the term used in legislation. He says the former wording sometimes contributed to labeling Islam or particular communities of believers, and regards a clearer general definition as a potentially positive change.

Tashanov also warns that expanding the definition could allow political opinions or activism to be interpreted as extremism. His concern centers on political pluralism, meaning the ability of different political views and groups to exist and take part in public life.

Lawmakers describe the revised definitions as a way to reduce uncertainty and create a consistent approach. Tashanov focuses on how police, prosecutors and courts may apply broad language in individual cases. He argues for precise rules that leave less room to target political views disliked by officials.

The existing law lists legality, the priority of human rights and freedoms, openness and accountability among its principles. It also allows people to challenge formal warnings before a higher authority or a court. For people affected by the expanded framework, definitions, expert assessments and court review will be central parts of the legal process.

Prevention, reporting and rehabilitation

The package extends beyond punishment and prohibited content. It provides legal foundations for state programs to prevent extremism, monitor threats and assess risks. It also includes support for research into countering extremism.

People who report extremist activity are to receive additional protection and encouragement. Senate discussions addressed those protections alongside measures intended to prevent extremist ideas spreading through the internet and mass media.

The amendments also address reintegration for people convicted of crimes related to extremism. Rehabilitation center programs can last up to one year, placing a time frame around efforts to help participants return to ordinary social life.

The wider package includes a restriction preventing people with an unexpunged conviction for an intentional crime from providing psychological assistance. An unexpunged conviction is one that still has legal effect. This matters to the staffing of services where psychological support forms part of rehabilitation.

The legislative timeline

The legislative chronology places adoption by the Legislative Chamber on April 28, Senate approval on August 8 and presidential signature on November 2; another reported Senate approval date is August 13, 2026. The amendments take effect on official publication, so publication is the legal trigger for their operation.

• June 12 and June 28, 2018: The Legislative Chamber adopts, and the Senate approves, the original Law on Combating Extremism.
• November 1, 2018: The original law takes effect.
• November 29, 2023: The displayed official version incorporates the cited amendment concerning financing procedures.
• April 28, August and November 2: The amendment package passes through the legislative process and presidential signature, with the Senate approval date given as August 8 and also reported as August 13, 2026.
• July to November 3, 2026: The Supreme Court list grows from 1,915 prohibited sources to 2,057.

Implementation will involve several institutions: enforcement agencies prepare applications, experts assess content, prosecutors review the documents, the Supreme Court decides designations and the Justice Ministry publishes register entries. Residents face the immediate task of understanding both the prohibited conduct and the legal status of material they store, distribute or display.

Key Points

• Participation in extremist, separatist, fundamentalist or other prohibited organizations carries five to 10 years in prison.
• Specified first offenses involving extremist materials carry administrative penalties; repetition after an administrative penalty can lead to criminal liability.
• Individuals face fines of 50 to 100 basic calculation units, while officials face 100 to 150 units. Administrative detention can last up to 15 days.
• The Justice Ministry will publish a register covering organizations, materials and electronic sources.
• The Supreme Court list contained 2,057 prohibited sources on November 3, 2026, up 142 from July.
• The package removes the religious label from relevant extremism provisions and adds prevention, reporting protection and rehabilitation measures.
• Ezgulik chair Abdurahmon Tashanov welcomes removing the religious label but warns about possible application to political views and activism.