A court in Ferghana province has sentenced a local physician to five days of administrative detention for sexually harassing a colleague, highlighting a growing judicial enforcement of workplace misconduct laws in the country.
The defendant, a 33-year-old doctor identified in court documents as F.Zh., was convicted under Article 41-1 of the Code of Administrative Responsibility, which specifically penalizes sexual harassment. The incident occurred at the Toshloq District Central Multi-Profile Clinic, an affiliate of the provincial medical association.
According to court records, F.Zh. targeted a female digital operator at the same facility in late May 2026, sending her explicit photographs and unsolicited propositions via text message. The victim testified that she repeatedly rejected the advances, citing that both parties were married with children. The harassment was uncovered when the victim's husband discovered the messages, leading the family to file a formal complaint with law enforcement.
In court, F.Zh. entered a partial guilty plea, admitting to sending compliments and images of flowers, but denying the transmission of sexually explicit material. He further contended that his actions did not legally constitute harassment—an argument the magistrate ultimately rejected based on digital evidence.
The ruling reflects a notable uptick in public accountability and judicial enforcement regarding gender-based misconduct in Uzbekistan, a country traditionally hesitant to prosecute workplace harassment openly.
The Fergana conviction follows several similar high-profile rulings across the country:
- In Sirdaryo province, a sports coach was recently handed a five-day sentence for harassing a former student.
- In Tashkent province, a man received three days of detention for a heavily intoxicated assault on a coworker, an incident that also resulted in the victim being fined for carrying a knife for self-defense.
