The Republic of Uzbekistan 

The Law on the Mass Media

 

Article 1. The mass media

 

The mass media are newspapers, magazines, journals, bulletins, news agencies, television (including cable, and broadcasting and cable television) and radio stations, documentary films, electronic information media, and other mass state and independent periodicals, which are published under a permanent name.

 

Article 2. Freedom of speech and the mass media.

 

Mass media in the Republic of Uzbekistan. are free and operate in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan, this law and other legislative acts.  The mass media have the right to search for, receive and disseminate information, and are responsible for truthfulness and trustworthiness of aired or published information in accordance with legislation.

 

Article 3. Freedom of speech.

 

Each citizen has the right to be published or broadcast, and openly express own opinion and convictions.

 

Article 4. Inadmissibility of censorship.

 

Censorship of the mass media is inadmissible in the Republic of Uzbekistan . Nobody has the right to demand prior approval of reports or materials to be published or broadcast, or to demand alterations in the text or withdraw them from publication or broadcasting.

 

Article 5. Language of the mass media.

 

The mass media in the Republic of Uzbekistan shall carry out their activities in accordance with the Law On the State Language.

 

Article 6. Inadmissibility of abusing freedom of speech.

 

The mass media cannot be used to call for forcible changing of the existing constitutional order, territorial integrity of the Republic of Uzbekistan., to propagate war and violence, cruelty, racial, ethnic, and religious hostility, to divulge state of other protected by the law secrets, for other activities entailing sanctions under the criminal code.  It is forbidden to publish preliminary investigation materials without written consent of a prosecutor or an investigator; to name a source of information if the latter was given confidentially (except in case when it is demanded by court);to predict outcome of a specific court trial before court passes it's verdict or in other way influence on court before it's ruling or sentence comes into legal force.

 

Article 7. Editorial staff of the mass media.

 

Editorial staff of the mass media shall be formed by the founder and act in accordance with these laws, and it's own rules (regulations).

 

Article 8. An editorial staff of the mass media.

 

A member of the editorial staff of the mass media is a person included in the mass media staff and engaged in gathering, analyzing, editing and preparing materials.

 

Article 9.  Journalist’s investigation.

 

An editorial staff has the right to study and investigate into an event or circumstances he has been informed about or learned from other sources, or himself witnessed; to use audio or video-recording equipment in gathering information, witnesses' testimonies.  The investigation should not influence on course of an investigation or court process.  An editorial staff has the right to make public own opinion on a specific event, circumstances, or case are not complete, after a court verdict or sentence comes into legal force to make public as own opinion journalist's suggestions and facts.

 

Article 10. Confidentiality of a source of information.

 

The mass media have no right to divulge the name of a source, which has provided information, data, evidences, and proofs without their written consent.  The mass media can at the request of a source of information or an author working under a pseudonym represent them in court.

 

Article 11. The right to set up the mass media.

 

The right to set up the mass media is enjoyed by legal and natural persons of the Republic of Uzbekistan.  The mass media can be set up by more than one founder.

 

Article 12. The registration of the mass media.

 

Editorial staff of the mass media can start carrying out its activities after receiving a registration certificate.  An application for registration of the mass media shall be submitted in the established order by the founder to the organization authorized by the government of the Republic of Uzbekistan.  The application for registration shall be considered within a month since the date of submission.  The registration gives the mass media to operate during three months since the day of issue of a certificate of registration.  In case during the said period a mass media publishes or broadcasts not a single issue its registration certificate shall be deemed void.

 

 

Article 13. Application for registration of the mass media.

 

The application for registration of the mass media organization should specify its: 1. Founder (s); 2. Name, working language (s), and legal address; 3. Aims and tasks; 4. Supposed readership (viewership, audience); 5. Supposed periodicity of publication or broadcast, volume of the publication, sources of funding, material and technical supply.  If the said data change the mass media are obliged to re-register them in the established order.  In case if these changes are not essential the registration organization could make a decision that it is not necessary to re-register this mass media organization.  Registration and re-registration fee shall be levied in the order and size established by the government of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

 

 

Article 14. Dissemination of the information without registration.

 

The state authority and administration bodies which publish official normative or other documents, journals or bulletins covering court practice, as well as enterprises, establishments and organizations (including academic and scientific institutions) which publish information materials necessary for their activities have the right to disseminate information without registration.  No registration required to produce by technical means printed, audio and video material not intended for mass dissemination, as well as to copy a manuscript, if law does not provide it.

 

Article 15. Refusal to register the mass media.

 

Registration of a mass media organization can be refused if. 1. Aims and tasks of a mass media organization contradict the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan and this law; 2. There is an earlier registered mass media organization with the same name; 3. A mass media organization has submitted the application earlier than after a year since a court decision to cease its activity came into legal force. 4. The founder or one of the founders of a mass media organization, or publisher is based outside the Republic of Uzbekistan.  In case of the refuse to register the mass media organization the applicant shall be sent a notification in written form with the specific grounds of the refusal.

 

Article 16. Ceasing the mass media’s broadcasting or publishing activity.

 

The mass media's broadcasting or publishing activity can be ceased by a decision of the founded, the registering organization, or court.  In the event the founder decides to cease broadcasting or publishing activity of a mass media organization its editorial staff or editors (editor-in-chief), or an editorial staff member can in accordance with Article 9 of this law set up a mass media organization with the same name.  In such case the mass media shall be re-registered.

 

 

Article 17. Procedure for appealing against the refusal to register a mass media organization and the decision to cease its activity.

 

The founder or editorial staff can appeal to court against a state organization's refusal to register their mass media or its decision to cease their activities.

 

Article 18. Rules (regulations) of the mass media.

 

The mass media shall carry out their activities under rules (regulations) approved by the founder.  The rules (regulations) of the mass media shall be adopted at an editorial staff meeting by the majority of votes provided the presence of the two thirds of the staff, and shall be approved by the founder.  The rules (regulations) define rights and duties of the founder, editor (editor-in-chief) and the editorial staff members; contain information about the mass media founder, name, working language (s), address, kinds of activities and aims, sources of the editorial staff s property, division of incomes (profits), and conditions for reorganization and liquidation (ceasing) the operation.  The rules (regulations) shall not contradict the laws of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

 

Article 19. The mass media editor (editor-in-chief) and editorial board.

 

Editor (editor-in-chief) shall manage the work of the editorial board and staff of a mass media organization, represent it in relations with the founder.  The procedure for appointing and dismissing the editor (editor-in-chief) shall be defined in the rules (regulations).  The editorial board shall be formed in the order established by the rules (regulations) of the mass media.  Operational, property, financial and other relations between the founder, editorial staff and publisher of the mass media shall be regulated on the basis of legislation.

 

Article 20. Sponsors’ participation in the mass media activities.

 

Legal and natural persons of the Republic of Uzbekistan can sponsor the mass media.  Relations between the mass media and sponsors shall be regulated by legislation.  Sponsors are forbidden to interfere in the mass media's and their staff's professional activities.

 

Article 21. Original information.

 

n. Every edition of the press periodicals shall carry the following information:

     1. The name of the publication;

     2. The editorial office address;

     3. The founder(s);

4.      The surname, first name and patronymic of the editor (editor-in-chief);

5.      The registration number of the periodical and the date

of its publication, and, for newspapers, the time of permitting to and sending for print;

     6. The post code , for periodicals distributed through the post offices;

     7. The circulation;

     8. The name and address of the publishing house;

Editorial staff of a television or radio station shall every time it goes onto air or, if it broadcasts 24 hours a day, not less than four times a day announce the mane of the station.

 

Article 22. Control and compulsory copies.

 

Free control copies of the press periodicals shall be sent to the editorial office the founder and register body.  The government of the Republic of Uzbekistan shall define the list of the press periodicals to be sent compulsory copies.

 

Article 23. Keeping television and radio programs recordings.

 

The editorial staff of television and radio stations are obliged to keep recordings of their programs during a month since they have been broadcast, and register in a special book live programs specifying in the book the program's subject, date of the broadcast (going onto air), its timing, and presenter's name and surname.  The book for registering such programs shall be kept during a year since the date of the last entry.  Programs of historic, cultural or other importance shall be kept permanently in order established by legislation.

 

April 24. Procedure for disseminating the mass media.

 

The mass media output can be disseminated directly by the publisher or editorial staff or, on the basis of contract, by a communication enterprise, or other legal and natural persons.  The mass media's every new edition can be issued only after approval of the editor (editor-in-chief).  The dissemination of the foreign mass media output is based on the legislations and rules of the international agreements of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

 

Article 25. Publication of the official reports, information and statements.

 

The mass media founded by the state authority and administration organizations are obliged to publish these organizations' official reports.  Special reports on emergency situations or reports by authorized state organizations aimed to inform the public shall be published or broadcast by all the mass media.  The editorial staff is obliged to publish free of charge and on requested day court decisions which have come into legal force and contain an instruction to be published by a specific mass media organization.  Any other reports, information and statements shall be published or broadcast under a contract with the editorial staff.

 

Article 26. Using author’s materials or letters.

 

The mass media can use journalistic, literary, and scientific works and works of the art in accordance with legislation.  In preparing for publication reader's letters can be shortened or edited if this does not distort the point of the letter.  Nobody has the right to oblige the mass media to make public a material disapproved by the editorial staff, on the base of the law.

 

Article 27. The right to refute and to reply.

 

A legal or natural person have the right to demand that the editorial staff refute information it has made public and which is not true and insult their honor and dignity.  Legal and natural persons whose rights and lawful interests have been abused as a result of the publication or broadcast have the right to publish or broadcast refutation through the same mass media.  The refutation or the reply shall be published in a special column or the same page as was the report being refuted was published.  It shall be published in a newspaper not later than in a month since it was received, and in other periodicals - in the next edition.  The text of the refutation or the reply sent to the editorial staff of a television or radio station shall be aired in the same program or a series of programs and not later than in a month since it was received.  It is inadmissible to edit the text of a well-reasoned and balanced reply, if its volume or broadcasting timing does not disturb activities of the mass media.  Legal and natural persons have the right to bring an action in case the mass media tries to avoid publication or broadcast of the refutation or reply, or does not publish or broadcast it on a fixed day.

 

Article 28. Responsibility for breaking the legislation on the mass media.

 

Persons found guilty in breaking the legislation on the mass media shall be brought to account in the established order.  Editor (editor-in-chief) and journalists do not bear responsibility for disseminating through the mass media information not corresponding to the reality in cases when information comes from official reports, or received from a news agency or state organizations' press services, or voiced by somebody else in a live program.

 

Article 29. Activity of representatives of the foreign mass media in the Republic of Uzbekistan.

 

Representatives of the foreign mass media shall carry out their activities in the Republic of Uzbekistan after accreditation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan.  Legal status and terms for carrying out professional work by representatives of the foreign mass media accredited in. the Republic of

Uzbekistan are defined in legislation.

 

Article 30. International treaties.

 

If an international treaty of the Republic of Uzbekistan establishes rules other than those envisaged in this law, the rules of that international treaty shall be applied.