Uzbekistan considers chilling bill to criminalise speaking out for LGBT+ rights

It could soon be illegal in Uzbekistan to publicly back the legalisation of gay sex, following the passing of a new law banning criticism of the president online.

On Wednesday (31 March) Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the president of Uzbekistan, signed into law amendments to the country’s criminal code which ban “insult and slander” of the president online, by media or individuals. The legislation does not specify what qualifies as an “insult”.

The new law could be an indication of what’s so come, as the country is currently considering a draft of many more changes to the criminal code.

Uzbekistan currently bans consensual same-sex sexual conduct under Article 120 of the current criminal code, and violations can be punished with up to three years in prison.

The new draft would keep the ban, but would add to the code that gay sex is a crime “against family, children and morality”.

Under the laws currently being considered, however, even criticising the ban on same-sex sexual relations could become illegal.

Source: PinkNews

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