Saying "I didn't know" does not exempt one from liability
In Qorako‘l, banned religious materials were found on the phone of a 20-year-old citizen; the court [fined] him 2 million 60
The statement "I did not know" does not exempt from liability
In Qorakoʻl, an administrative case was opened against a citizen after forbidden religious materials were found on his phone. According to the court decision, a fine of 2 million 60 thousand soums was imposed on the offender.
As an authorized officer of the Qorakoʻl district Department of Internal Affairs Counter-Terrorism Division informed "Xabar.uz", an operational measure was conducted based on an incoming report. During the event, it was revealed that suspicious files were on the mobile phone of a 20-year-old citizen, O.S., living in the "Mirzaqal’a" neighborhood of the district. These materials were sent for expertise to the Committee on Religious Affairs under the Cabinet of Ministers.
The expertise conclusion noted that the files had been kept without appropriate permission, in violation of legislative requirements regarding the procedure for the preparation, import, and distribution of religious materials.
An iPhone 14 Pro smartphone was seized as physical evidence related to the offense to be confiscated in favor of the state.
At the court hearing, citizen O.S. stated that he sincerely regretted his actions, claiming he did not know that storing such information was prohibited; he pleaded guilty and asked for leniency.
The court thoroughly reviewed the submitted protocols, expert opinions, and evidence. The offender's youth, the fact that he had not committed such an act before, and his family situation were taken into account. Article 184² of the Code of Administrative Responsibility (Illegal preparation, storage, import, or distribution of religious materials) was applied to him.
Based on principles of humanism, the administrative fine was set below the minimum amount established by law, at 5 times the base calculation amount, namely 2 million 60 thousand soums.
"The plea 'I did not know' saves no one from liability. Today, sending, receiving, or downloading various audio and video files to phone memory on social networks and messengers has become a common occurrence. However, downloading and storing any information without checking it can lead to severe legal consequences. In particular, it is very important to know the legislative requirements regarding religious materials, pay attention to their legality, and not be careless in cases where permission is required," said Dilmurod Qulliyev, investigative judge of the Qorakoʻl District Criminal Court.