Life imprisonment for violence, digital pensions, and citizen over-indebtedness — news of the week
Life imprisonment for abuse, digital pensions, and citizen over-indebtedness — news of the week
Life imprisonment is being proposed in Uzbekistan for sexual offenses against children. The pension system is transitioning to a digital format: some pensions will be assigned automatically, and future payments can be calculated in advance. The population is sinking deeper into debt — over six years, debt has increased sixfold. Up to 5 years of imprisonment is provided for the illegal construction of high-rise buildings without permission. Champions of the Chess Olympiad can expect housing, cars, and $200,000 each. Government agencies are moving to New Tashkent, and their buildings are being put up for sale.
Life imprisonment for crimes against children: punishment is being tightened
The Senate has approved a law that significantly increases liability for sexual violence against children under 14 — up to life imprisonment.
The grounds for tightening are serious: according to MP Gulrukh Agzamova, 445 criminal cases were initiated regarding sexual violence against children under 14 between 2022 and 2025. The new law provides for up to 25 years or life imprisonment, the abolition of statutes of limitations for particularly grave crimes, as well as a ban on probation and early release in cases where an intentional crime resulted in the death of a child. At the same time, not only the punishment is changing: victimized children will be provided with free legal aid, interrogations will be video-recorded, and in cases of abuse by relatives, guardianship authorities will be mandatorily involved in the process.
Now the important question is how effectively these measures will work in practice: tightening the punishment may increase accountability for crimes, but it is equally important to ensure early detection of abuse, protection of the child during the investigation, and real prevention of such cases. The law will come into force after being signed by the president.
Pensions are going digital
Uzbekistan's pension system is facing a major overhaul: less paper, more automatic decisions, and the ability to find out in advance how much the state will pay in old age.
From 2027, the Pension Fund will fully transition to a digital format — paper documents will no longer be accepted, and some pensions will be assigned automatically. At the same time, some citizens will have the opportunity to retire earlier: men aged 58–60 with at least 25 years of service and women aged 53–55 with at least 20 years of service will be able to claim an early pension if suitable work is not found for them within three months after dismissal. The application process goes through the EPIGU, and the service itself is provided free of charge.