Uzbekistan has eased parts of its extremism legislation following criticism from UN rights experts, while retaining broad state powers over materials and organisations deemed extremist.
The changes come after Tashkent moved earlier this year to expand its counter-extremism framework, including a broader list of offences linked to extremist and terrorist activity.
Under draft amendments reported in May, first-time offenders involved in preparing or storing materials deemed to threaten public safety could face administrative rather than criminal liability.
The amendments also introduced differentiated sentencing for organising, leading or participating in so-called “informal structures”, replacing a system under which all participants could face the same 10- to 15-year sentence.
Uzbekistan’s Supreme Court has continued to expand its blacklist of extremist and terrorist online materials. The Diplomat reported that the list grew from nearly 1,600 online entries in January 2025 to more than 1,800 by April 2026, with Telegram channels and posts accounting for the largest share.
Rights groups have long warned that broad definitions of extremism can put religious expression and freedom of speechat risk of criminalisation. The latest changes appear to ease penalties for lower-level offences while leaving the wider enforcement framework in place.
For centuries, Lahore has been shaped by the people, cultures and empires that passed through it. Now, the Pakistani city is preparing to put that ...
A U.S. campaign to throttle Iran...
The resolution, sponsored by African countries and led by Togo, passed by 164 votes to one, with six abstention...
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia that he believed there was "a chance of finding a solution," to the conflict.
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August and 2 September.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Russia then Ukraine over the weekend, Russian state news agency TASS has reported, citing an unnamed source. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also said American envoys will visit the capitals of both countries.
The Iranian Army has again struck at U.S. bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates in retaliation for U.S. attacks on southern and western parts of Iran late on Tuesday, which reportedly killed 18 people and injured more than 100 others.
U.S. efforts to squeeze Iran’s economy through an oil blockade and sanctions are becoming increasingly difficult for Tehran to withstand, according to three senior Iranian sources. Washington is escalating pressure in hopes of securing concessions in future negotiations.
A unique architectural monument dating back to the 9th to 12th centuries has been discovered in the village of Gargara, in the Korez village commune in Dangara district in Tajikistan.
Japan and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime have launched a $9.4 million, two-year project across five Afghan provinces to help former poppy-growing families and expand drug prevention and treatment services.
For centuries, Lahore has been shaped by the people, cultures and empires that passed through it. Now, the Pakistani city is preparing to put that rich history before a wider regional audience.
Israel is ready to move Palestinians from Gaza as soon as the U.S. approves, the country’s Defence Minister Israel Katz has said. He told a conference hosted by Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth on Wednesday that there was “no real solution” for Gaza without migration.
Flights between Central Asia and Russia have faced widespread disruption, with aircraft diverted, turned back or cancelled amid restrictions in Russian airspace and conflicting claims from Moscow and Kyiv over aviation safety.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment