43 officials fined for subjecting people to forced labor

The Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations of Uzbekistan has published a list of officials, who were fined in 2019 for subjecting people to forced labor during the cotton harvest.

All officials were held accountable under Article 51 (administrative coercion to work) of the Administrative Code of Uzbekistan.

The list has two district khokims and five deputy district khokims. City and regional khokims are not listed.

An interesting fact is that representatives of banks are topping the list. In particular, in 2019, 15 managers of various banks were brought to administrative responsibility for forcing people to labor on the field. All of the above banks are located in Samarkand region.

5 directors of secondary schools are also held accountable before the law.

Among representatives of the private sector, only one director of a shopping complex was brought to administrative responsibility.

It should be recalled on January 22, the President signed the law “On amendments and addenda to some legislative acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan”. According to the document, the Criminal Code is supplemented by articles providing for liability for violation of the requirements on the inadmissibility of child labor and forced labor (the table is presented in the Uzbek language).

Kun.uz