Uzbekistan's Ministry of Justice has reminded the public that calling on others to avoid speaking Russian can infringe on citizens' rights and lead to legal consequences.
The statement followed public outrage sparked by local blogger Activist (Khojiakbar Nosirov), who criticized a café in Tashkent for addressing him in Russian. He also voiced concerns that a lack of Russian-language skills could limit job opportunities in the country.
In response, the ministry clarified that while Uzbek is the official state language under the Law on the State Language, this legislation does not restrict citizens' personal language choices. Authorities stressed that all citizens have equal rights to speak their native language, receive education, and preserve their cultural identity. Any attempts to violate these rights or stir conflict based on language use could be subject to legal action.
Although the 1989 version of the language law recognized Russian as a language of interethnic communication, its 1995 revision removed any mention of it. Still, Russian remains widely used in everyday life and official documentation, including in legal and civil registration processes. Roughly a million people in Uzbekistan speak Russian as their native language, and with around 1.5 million Uzbeks working in Russia, many are fluent in both Russian and Uzbek.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Guidecity/Creative Commons 4.0
Based on materials from TASS