The key facts

  • Starting October 20, 2026, interrogations and other procedural actions with child victims regarding certain Criminal Code articles will be conducted at the 'Najot' center in Samarkand.
  • Video recordings are recognized as evidence, meaning the child does not need to be summoned to court.
  • Starting January 1, 2027, children will receive free lawyers; by the end of 2028, the center model is planned to be expanded to other regions.

Establishment of the 'Najot' Center in Samarkand

On October 14, 2026, the President of Uzbekistan signed Decree PQ-375 'On Additional Measures to Improve the Child Social Protection System'. The document provides for the creation of a child center named 'Najot' in Samarkand based on the 'Barnahus' model, proposed by the National Agency for Social Protection, the General Prosecutor's Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Ministry of Health. The center operates without legal entity status under the Agency's Center for Child Support and Social Integration. Four staff positions are allocated from the agency's existing resources for its organization; if necessary, interpreters, defectologists, psychiatrists, rehabilitation specialists, and other narrow specialists are engaged under civil-law contracts with hourly payment. Funding is provided by the State Fund for Social Protection and other sources not prohibited by law.

Procedural Actions in Specialized Rooms

Starting October 20, 2026, procedural actions with minor victims of crimes committed in the Samarkand region will be conducted in the center's specialized rooms. The procedure covers interrogations, collection of samples for expert examination, conducting examinations, identification procedures, and other necessary actions. It applies to cases involving certain crimes under the Criminal Code: infringement of honor, coercion to sexual intercourse, sexual relations with a person under 16, sexual relations with a person aged 16–18 for material or other reward, indecent acts against a person under 16, as well as certain cases of human trafficking related to sexual crimes, and crimes related to disclosing information humiliating honor and dignity and reflecting intimate aspects of a person's life.

Procedure and Recording

The delivery of the child to the center and ensuring their safety is organized by internal affairs bodies at the location where the case was identified. Actions are conducted by a prosecutor employee—an interviewer who has undergone special training—based on the conclusion of the center's psychologist; they are included in the investigative group for the case. The child's legal representative and lawyer, investigator, experts, as well as the center's social worker and psychologist participate in the process. All actions must be recorded on audio and video; recordings along with the transcript are attached to the case materials. Storing them at the center, transferring them to third parties, or distributing them in any form is prohibited. Recordings are recognized as evidence and may be used in court proceedings without summoning the child to court. Direct meetings between the child and the suspect, accused, their relatives, or defenders are also prohibited without the participation of the child's legal representative.

Free Lawyers for Children

Starting January 1, 2027, children participating in criminal cases as victims or witnesses will receive legal assistance funded by the state. This will be provided by lawyers who have undergone special training in working with children. The Ministry of Justice and the Chamber of Lawyers maintain a separate registry of such lawyers. By the end of 2026, at least 10 lawyers in each region must be trained according to international standards; as noted by Gazeta.uz, priority is assumed to be given to female lawyers.

Additional Measures

The decree also provides for the creation of a specialized children's room in the Samarkand Regional Court building by December 2026, adapted to the age and mental state of children. The 24-hour hotline '1246' of the National Agency for Social Protection will be integrated with the unified dispatch service '112' through the 'Digital Government' system's inter-agency integration platform; appeals transferred to other state bodies must be reviewed within the timeframes established by law. Based on the analysis of the center's work by December 2028, proposals for creating similar centers in other regions of the country must be developed and submitted to the President's Administration.

Responsibility for Implementation

Personally responsible for the implementation of the decree are the Prosecutor General, Nigmatilla Yuldashev, and the Minister of Internal Affairs, Aziz Tashpulatov. Control over the implementation of the document and coordination of the work of responsible organizations are assigned to the Prime Minister, Abdulla Aripov, and the President's Advisor on Social Protection, Director of the National Agency for Social Protection, Mansur Allayarov.