Özbekistan Established a Convict Registration System as Part of Anti-Corruption Reform

Özbekistan has made comprehensive changes to its anti-corruption legislation in order to increase accountability in the public sector and reduce corruption. The new law signed by President Şavkat Mirziyoyev on 22 Haziran aims to strengthen the principle of zero tolerance against corruption throughout society. The most striking element of the new regulation is the creation of an electronic registration system in which persons convicted of corruption crimes will be included. The Ministry of Internal Affairs will be obliged to enter the person's information into this system within at least three business days after the conviction becomes legally final. The information of the persons in the registry will continue to be protected in the system throughout their criminal records.

Convicts included in the said registration system will face serious restrictions in various areas of public life. These persons will not be able to enter civil service, receive state awards, or be candidates for certain elected or appointed positions. In addition, they will be banned from holding high-level positions in public affiliated institutions, state-owned enterprises, and educational institutions. Companies in which a person convicted of corruption holds more than fifty percent of the shares will also not be able to participate in public procurement and public-private partnership projects. These restrictions aim to create a deterrent effect for those who commit corruption offenses.

The new legislative changes also significantly expand criminal liability for corruption-related crimes. Much heavier penalties are envisaged for abuse of office and crimes committed through organized criminal groups or using information technologies and computer systems. Public officials who intentionally fail to perform their duties for personal gain will also face increased penal sanctions. The provisions regulating violations regarding public procurement have also been rearranged to include harsher penalties. These regulations show that the fight against corruption is framed in a way that not only detects it but also ensures that criminals pay a heavy price.

The law aims not only to impose criminal sanctions but also to strengthen the internal audit mechanisms of institutions. State institutions have been tasked with identifying positions with a high risk of corruption and regularly assessing these risks. The Anti-Corruption Agency and the Ministry of Justice will supervise the methods used in these assessments and create a national corruption risk map in light of data such as crime statistics, implementation examples, and public surveys. Institutions are also obligated to develop mitigating measures against the risks they identify. Thus, a systematic and data-driven approach is adopted to prevent corruption.

The reform package also includes significant guarantees regarding the protection and encouragement of employees who report in-house corruption. Employees who report corruption in their own institutions cannot be subjected to disciplinary penalties for two years without prior notification to the Anti-Corruption Agency. Those who make reports will be provided with state incentives such as financial rewards, certificates of appreciation, and other legally permitted forms of recognition. In addition, personnel responsible for compliance and internal audit in state institutions will gain additional legal protection within the scope of special search, interrogation, and investigation procedures. The Özbekistan government had also initiated mandatory anti-corruption reviews for large investment projects of fifty million dollars and above in May 2026 and further tightened the audit of public expenditures.