The key facts

  • In Samarkand, modeled on Barnahus, a 'Najot' center will be created for procedural actions with children affected by crimes
  • All actions will be recorded on audio and video; the recordings may be used in court without summoning the child
  • From 2027, child victims and witnesses will be provided with lawyers at the state's expense

Presidential resolution and creation of the center

A resolution of the President of Uzbekistan 'On additional measures to improve the system of social protection of children' has been adopted, as reported by the Ministry of Justice. According to the document, a children's center 'Najot' will be created in Samarkand based on the Icelandic Barnahus model ('Children's House'). The model assumes that children who have suffered violence or other crimes receive psychological, medical and legal assistance in one specialized center, and investigative actions are conducted in a safe environment to avoid re-traumatization and repeated questioning by different specialists.

Procedural actions from October 20

From October 20, in special rooms of the center, interrogations of minors who have suffered from crimes provided for by the relevant articles of the Criminal Code will be conducted, samples for expert examinations will be taken, examinations, identifications and other necessary procedural actions will be carried out for crimes committed on the territory of Samarkand region. The child's delivery to the center and ensuring his safety will be organized by internal affairs bodies. The actions will be conducted by a specially trained prosecutor's office employee — an interviewer, acting on the basis of a conclusion from the center's psychologist. The child's legal representative, his lawyer, the investigator, experts, a social worker and a psychologist may participate. A meeting of the child with the suspect, accused, their relatives or defenders without a legal representative is not allowed.

Audio and video recording and use in court

All procedures will be mandatorily recorded on audio and video. The recordings, together with a transcript, will be attached to the criminal case materials; they may be used in court proceedings without summoning the child to court. Storing the recordings at the center, transferring them to third parties or distributing them in any form is prohibited. According to UzNews.uz, we are talking about cases under the Criminal Code articles on rape, violent satisfaction of sexual needs in a perverse form, coercion into sexual intercourse, sexual crimes involving minors, human trafficking in cases related to sexual crimes, as well as dissemination of information about a person's private life.

Staff, specialists and prospects for expansion

Four staff positions will be allocated for the center's operation. If necessary, translators, defectologists, psychiatrists, rehabilitation specialists and other specialists will be engaged with hourly payment for their services. If the center's work yields positive results, proposals will be prepared for creating such centers in the remaining regions.

Free lawyers and helpline

From January 1, 2027, children involved in criminal cases as victims or witnesses will be provided with lawyers at the state's expense — assistance will be provided by lawyers who have undergone special training in working with children. By the end of 2026, at least ten such lawyers are planned to be trained in each region, with preference given to women in the selection. In addition, the 24-hour helpline of the National Agency of Social Protection 1246 will be integrated with the unified dispatch service at the short number 112, which will allow receiving and automatically processing appeals.