Adminstration of the Mirishkor District, Kashkadarya Region

A comprehensive legal advocacy event dedicated to the latest and most significant amendments to national legislation was organized through the cooperation of the Mirishkor District Criminal Court, the District Prosecutor's Office, and the District Department of Internal Affairs (IIB).

The meeting focused on explaining the core essence, provisions, and transformative social impact of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. LRU-1151, dated June 11, 2026, titled "On Introduction of Additions and Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan Aimed at Improving Responsibility for Illegal Circulation of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances, or Their Analogues, and Potent Substances."

The event was attended by heads and responsible officers of the District IIB, the Mahalla Department, the District Branch of the Youth Affairs Agency, the Medical Association, the Department of Preschool and School Education, the "Inson" Social Services Center, as well as neighborhood activists representing the "Mahalla Seven" (mahalla yettiligi).

The event was opened with an introductory speech by the Head of the Mirishkor District IIB, Lieutenant Colonel Gayrat Khaydarov. In his address, he emphasized that combating the illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and potent substances is no longer merely a law enforcement issue, but has been elevated to a vital strategic and political task at the state level. He informed the public that the government has declared an uncompromising war against this social vice to protect the nation's genetic pool and completely eradicate the root causes of the problem.

Following this, Abdukhofiz Boybilov, Chairman of the Mirishkor District Criminal Court, delivered a speech providing a clause-by-clause analysis of the rigorous amendments introduced by the new law into the current Criminal Code and the Code of Administrative Responsibility.

Key Legal Amendments and Strengthening of Criminal Liability

1. Entirely New Articles Introduced into the Codes:

• Article 276-1 (Narcotics Laboratories): A penalty of 5 to 10 years of imprisonment has been established for illegally setting up or ensuring the operation of narcotics laboratories.

• Article 276-2 (Drug Dens / Pritons): Organizing or maintaining a drug den (priton) for the consumption or distribution of narcotic drugs or potent substances has been criminalized, carrying a penalty of 3 to 5 years of imprisonment.

• Article 276-3 (Narcobusiness Corruption): A penalty of 5 to 8 years of imprisonment has been introduced for providing patronage or protection (pokrovitelstvo) to the illicit circulation of narcotics by abusing official powers.

• Article 276-10 (Involvement of Minors): A direct criminal liability mechanism has been established for involving minors in the consumption of potent substances.

• Article 187-1 of the Code of Administrative Responsibility (Administrative Code): Direct administrative detention of up to 15 days has been instituted for consuming narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances in public places.

2. New, Stringent Redaction of Existing Articles:

• Expansion of the Concept of "Transfer" (Article 273): The term "sale" in the current article has been legally replaced with the broader term "transfer" (o‘tkazish). Consequently, leaving narcotics in hidden spots via the Internet ("dead-dropping" or zakladka), gifting them, or simply handing them over to another person will now carry the same criminal liability as selling them.

• Criminal Sanctions inside Educational Institutions and via the Internet: If this crime is committed using modern information technologies (the Internet) or within the premises of schools, higher education institutions (HEIs), student dormitories, and children's camps, the penalties are severely aggravated to 7 to 10 years of imprisonment. If the act is committed in large quantities, the prison sentence is strictly set from 15 to 20 years.

3. Restrictions on Incentive Norms:

• Prohibition Introduced to Article 73: It is now legally codified that parole or early conditional release (UDO) shall not apply to persons who commit heinous drug crimes involving the transfer of narcotic drugs in large quantities.

Conclusion and Preventive Strategies

At the conclusion of the meeting, Khusan Odilov, Deputy Prosecutor of the District, took the floor and emphasized that ensuring the rule of law and combating this severe menace requires not only punitive measures but also systemic prevention and the early deterrence of offenses.

The representative of the District Prosecutor's Office stressed the need to elevate cooperation to a new level based on the chain of "law enforcement agencies — mahalla seven — educational institutions — the general public" to build a healthy genetic pool and a peaceful society. Furthermore, it was determined that the capabilities of social media activists, bloggers, and digital media resources should be extensively utilized to deliver the essence and strict conditions of this new law to every household and every street.

At the end of the event, participants defined specific tasks to accelerate awareness campaigns and improve legal literacy across all neighborhoods.