Harsher penalties imposed for unauthorized land occupation in Uzbekistan

Amendments to Article 60 of the Code of Administrative Responsibility raise the fines for first-time violations:

• Citizens: From 25 to 30 base calculation units (BCUs), equivalent to 11.25 million UZS.
• Officials: From 50 to 70 BCUs, or 26.25 million UZS.

For construction on unlawfully occupied land, fines have also been significantly increased:

• Citizens: From 150 to 200 BCUs (75 million UZS).
• Officials: From 300 to 400 BCUs (150 million UZS).

Amendments to the Criminal Code extend prison terms for repeated land grabs and violations:

• Repeated offenses (Article 229.1): Maximum prison term increased from one year to five years.
• Unauthorized construction on irrigated land: Prison terms now range from five to seven years, compared to the previous two to three years.
• Repeated violations in land allocation processes: Prison terms extended from three years to five years, or five to seven years in aggravated cases involving group conspiracies.

The fines for repeated offenses remain unchanged, ranging between 300 and 600 BCUs (112.5 million UZS to 225 million UZS).

The law also introduces measures to expedite legal proceedings:

• Prosecution and the Cadastre Agency are exempted from fees when filing lawsuits to reclaim unlawfully occupied land or demolish unauthorized structures.
• Court deadlines:
• Land reclamation cases must be resolved within 20 days.
• Appeals must be filed within 10 days and resolved within 15 days.