Bobur Bekmurodov: Death penalty for pedophiles will create risks for children
The leader of the Milliy Tiklanish party, Alisher Kadirov, has once again stated that he advocates for the death penalty for pedophiles and murderers. UzLiDeP MP and head of Yuksalish, Bobur Bekmurodov, responded that this would create risks for the children themselves as the sole witnesses, and recalled the possibility of judicial errors.
Bobur Bekmurodov: Death penalty for pedophiles will create risks for children
On September 29, party factions in the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan began reviewing a bill aimed at toughening liability for all types of violence against children, including sexual violence. This comes against the backdrop of a high-profile case of sexual abuse of a 5-year-old girl at a state kindergarten in the Uchkurgan district of the Namangan region.
The day before, the leader of the Milliy Tiklanish (National Revival) party, Alisher Kadirov, stated that he would abstain from voting on this proposal. He reiterated his opinion, published two days earlier, on the need to reinstate the death penalty for pedophilia and premeditated murder, especially of children.
The MP recalled the "Norwegian monster" Anders Breivik, the organizer of a major terrorist attack in Oslo in 2011, which killed 77 people and injured more than 300, who is serving a 21-year prison sentence. "Whose example are we following?" he asked, adding that "we will be forced to create conditions for our pedophile as well, if he asks for them."
According to Alisher Kadirov, the death penalty would serve to prevent serious crimes.
Bobur Bekmurodov, an MP from UzLiDeP and head of the Yuksalish (Progress) movement, objected to Alisher Kadirov.
He stressed that the punishment for those who commit crimes against children must be severe and inevitable: life imprisonment, complete exclusion of the possibility of pardon, and a ban on early release.
The application of the death penalty, firstly, contradicts the Constitution. Secondly, it could pose a danger to the children themselves.
"If both the rape and the murder of a child are punishable by death, nothing will stop the criminal from taking the life of the only witness, that is, the child themselves," he said.
"We must always remember our international obligations and the possibility of judicial errors," Bobur Bekmurodov added.
"I believe that the main efforts to protect children should be directed elsewhere. This includes maintaining a registry of individuals who have committed sexual offenses and a lifetime ban on them working with children, early detection of danger in schools and mahallas, prompt and immediate investigations, as well as providing psychological support to child victims," he noted.
The day before, at a meeting of the UzLiDeP faction, there was also discussion of such a problem as the incorrect classification of cases of harassment against children as administrative offenses rather than crimes.
According to official data, in 2023, law enforcement agencies received 56 reports of sexual harassment against minors. In 2024, this figure was 129, and in 2025, it was 141. In the first half of 2026, 44 such reports were received.
Analysis showed that in some cases, actions that could have been considered as signs of a crime were processed as an administrative offense.
Over three years, in 44 cases, crimes were concealed and presented as administrative offenses.