3 people sentenced to 15-day imprisonment in Tashkent for participating in an illegal rally on support of Palestine

We reported that calls to rally appeared on social networks a few days ago. Activists produced a banner copied from one made for a pro-Palestine rally in Istanbul.

The banner depicts the statue of Amir Temur and many people gathered around it, holding the flags of Uzbekistan and Palestine. It also indicated the time and place: 14:00, Amir Temur Square. At the bottom of the banner the following were written: “Support for Palestine”, “15 days does not scare me” and “If we are many, we will be heard”.

According to the decisions of the Shaykhantakhur district court on criminal proceedings dated October 30, three persons – F.O. and B.I. (born in 2001), residents of Akhangaran district of Tashkent region (born in 2001), as well as M.Kh. (born in 1997), from Koson district of Kashkadarya region, were held administratively responsible.

Administrative protocols were drawn up against them in accordance with Article 194 (Failure to comply with the legal requirements of an employee of internal affairs bodies), Article 195 (Resistance of employees of internal affairs bodies in the performance of their duties) and Article 201-1 (Organization of gatherings, rallies, street marches or demonstrations, violation of the order of conduct) of the Administrative Responsibility Code.

According to the document, information about the illegal rally held on October 29 in Amir Temur Square was published in an open Telegram group. F.O., who spoke during the trial admitted that he read these posts and came to Tashkent from Akhangaran district to participate in the rally. Law-enforcement authorities detained him while participating in the rally and took him to the building of the DIA building for identification and a prophylactic conversation.

He said that he was sorry for what he had done, such a situation would not happen again, and asked the court to reduce the sentence.

Two other persons read the posts in the Telegram group and reported that they participated in the illegal rally.

The court found that Article 194 of the Code of Administrative Responsibility (Failure to comply with the legal requirements of an employee of internal affairs) and Part 1 of Article 201 (Organizing and holding meetings, rallies, street marches or demonstrations, violation of the procedure), Article 195 (Internal Affairs resisting the employees of the bodies to perform their duties).

All three of them were sentenced to 15-day administrative imprisonment.

Gazeta.uz sources reported that more than 100 people were arrested. Not only residents of the city went to participate in the action, but also people from neighboring regions came to the center of the capital.