Multiple international human rights organizations released a statement calling on Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to veto a controversial new law that would allow the deportation or entry ban of foreigners deemed “undesirable.”
The human rights groups fear the law could be exploited to arbitrarily deny entry to international human rights defenders, journalists, academics, lawyers and researchers. According to the organizations, the law would mark a significant departure from President Mirziyoyev’s recent openness and engagement policies with the international community.
“These amendments represent a flagrant violation of international standards on freedom of expression and pose a serious risk of isolating the country”, the organizations wrote in the joint statement, “We urgently call on the President to veto this proposal and uphold fundamental human rights.”
The Oliy Majlis, the lower house of the parliament, passed this draft law on June 25, 2024, which now awaits senatorial approval and the president’s signature to become law. The proposed legislation, titled “Amendments and Additions to the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan on the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons,” establishes grounds and procedures for declaring foreign citizens and stateless individuals inadmissible in Uzbekistan.
Public speeches or actions contradicting Uzbekistan’s state sovereignty, territorial integrity and security are named as reasons for inadmissibility. Insult to the honor, dignity or history of the people of Uzbekistan would also be considered a valid reason. Those deemed undesirable could face a five-year ban on entering Uzbekistan, opening bank accounts, purchasing real estate, participating in state property privatization and engaging in any financial or contractual relationships.
The legislative push comes in the wake of inflammatory remarks made by Russian ultranationalist politician and writer Zakhar Prilepin during a December press conference in Moscow. Prilepin called for the annexation of countries that send migrant workers to Russia and for their citizens to be forcibly taught Russian, citing Uzbekistan as an example. Another Russian public figure, Mikhail Smolin, made derogatory remarks about the history of the Uzbek people on a Russian TV show in January. The reasoning behind drafting this law has been “the need to establish additional measures to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Uzbekistan in the modern conditions of globalization,” as stated by the Oliy Majlis.
Human rights advocates warn that, instead of defending the nation’s sovereignty, the provisions of this law could be used to stifle dissent and silence government critics.
The statement also points out how Uzbekistan’s human rights situation has deteriorated in recent years, with increasing crackdowns on freedom of expression and media freedom. In the 2024 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, Uzbekistan ranked 148th out of 180 countries. The country has seen arbitrary detentions and deportations of journalists and human rights defenders, both domestic and foreign. These actions have raised concerns about the government’s commitment to upholding international human rights standards.
The undersigned organizations, which include Reporters Without Borders, Freedom Now, Minority Rights Group Europe and Article 19, stress that the amendments contradict Uzbekistan’s international human rights obligations and urge President Mirziyoyev to veto the law to protect Uzbekistan’s international reputation.
