Open Records Laws › Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan

Law No. 400-I on Guarantees and Freedom of Access to Information (O'zbekiston Respublikasining "Axborotga erkin kirish kafolatlari to'g'risida"gi qonuni) [Adopted April 24

Law No. 400-I on Guarantees and Freedom of Access to Information (O'zbekiston Respublikasining "Axborotga erkin kirish kafolatlari to'g'risida"gi qonuni) [Adopted April 24, 1997; last modified December 29, 2015]

RTI Rating: 54 (source)

Response Timeline

Initial Response
15 days
Extension
45 days
Residency Required
None

Calendar days (presumed). Response required within 15 calendar days per 2014 Law on Activities of State Bodies (reduced from original 30 days). Extensions allowed up to total of 60 days (2 months) from date of submission. Applicant must be notified of extension within 7 days. Oral requests should be answered "without delay" when possible.

How to Submit a Request

Accepted Methods

  • {'notes': 'Written applications accepted', 'method': 'written'}
  • {'notes': 'Oral applications accepted, should be answered without delay when possible', 'method': 'oral'}
  • {'notes': 'Electronic requests referenced in 2014 Law on Activities of State Bodies', 'method': 'electronic'}

Requests can be submitted directly or through representatives. State bodies, self-government institutions, public associations, and organizations must provide access to legislative acts affecting rights.

Required Elements

  • Applicant name, patronymics (middle name), and family name
  • Applicant address
  • Identification of the information sought and its features

Fees

Article 9(9) allows information to be provided "on a commercial basis" but provides no system limiting fees to reproduction and delivery costs. No central fee-setting authority, no free initial pages requirement, and no prohibition on reuse charges. The framework lacks proper fee regulation.

Exemptions

  • Protection of Constitutional Order
    Information may be restricted to protect foundations of the constitutional order (Article 4(2))
  • Protection of Moral Values
    Information may be restricted to protect moral values of society (Article 4(2))
  • State Security
    Information may be restricted to protect security of the State (Article 4(2))
  • Personal Data
    Personal data of physical persons shall be confidential (Article 13(2))
  • Confidential Information
    Information classified as confidential or where disclosure may infringe rights and legitimate interests of individuals or interests of society and the State (Article 10(1))
  • Intellectual and Cultural Potential
    Information may be restricted to protect intellectual, cultural, and scientific potentials (Article 4(2))

Uzbekistan's exemption framework includes broad, vaguely-defined restrictions that exceed international RTI standards. Article 4(2) permits limiting access for purposes including protection of "moral values of society" and "intellectual, cultural, and scientific potentials." Article 10(1) allows denial of confidential information or information where disclosure "may infringe" interests of individuals, society, or the State. CRITICAL DEFICIENCY: The law contains NO public interest override provision - there is no mechanism to allow disclosure despite exemptions when serving the public interest. The framework also lacks a harm test requirement for all exemptions, severability provisions for partial release, or any trump clause ensuring the RTI law supersedes other secrecy legislation.

Appeal Process

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1

Uzbekistan's FOI law provides only judicial review as an appeal mechanism, with no internal administrative appeals or independent information commission. This creates significant access-to-justice barriers, as citizens must pursue expensive court proceedings without intermediate remedies. The RTI Rating assigns only 9/30 points for appeals, citing the absence of any administrative review process and lack of specific timelines. Courts are not fully independent and have failed to protect individuals exercising freedom of information rights in practice.

Sources & References